


Frozen in Time

by Miaka



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Adventure, Arendelle, Curses, F/M, Giants, Humor, Ice Maiden, Magic, Origin Story, Romance, Royalty, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2018-07-20 03:19:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 54
Words: 147,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7388473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miaka/pseuds/Miaka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hans disappears before he can be arrested. Anna makes it her mission to find him. She just didn't expect to have to travel so far. Elsa faces politics and hidden threats at home. This is an AU only from the moment Anna punches Hans at the end of the film. Plot to include influences from tales by Hans Christian Andersen and other stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Frozen Heart

_Fairy snow, fairy snow,_  
_Blowing, blowing everywhere,_  
_Would that I_  
_Too, could fly_  
_Lightly, lightly through the air._

_Like a wee, crystal star_  
_I should drift, I should blow_  
_Near, more near,_  
_To my dear_  
_Where he comes through the snow._

_I should fly to my love_  
_Like a flake in the storm,_  
_I should die,_  
_I should die,_  
_On his lips that are warm._

" **Snow Song" by Sara Teasdale, 1911**

 **Frozen in Time**  
Chapter One

* * *

Anna felt her feet and legs again before she could even see anything. They tingled and burned the way they did as a child when she'd sit by the castle fireplaces after playing out in the snow. Funny, she couldn't remember much about those days. She remembered throwing snowballs with Elsa. Oh! Of course, there was ice skating in the Great Hall. _Wait, what?_ She thought. _Ice skating in the Great Hall? My brain must still be frozen!_

Then, one last tingling sensation swept up Anna's neck and chin. Elsa's sobs were the first sound Anna heard again before she realized she could move. Elsa looked up at her, wonderstruck. "Anna!" she exclaimed. The sisters hugged.

"Oh, Elsa..." Anna almost cried with relief.

Suddenly Elsa pulled away, awash with a look of pride and shock as she said, "You sacrificed yourself for me?"

"I love you." Anna had meant to be reassuring but Elsa still looked on the verge of tears. Olaf's gasp suddenly drew the attention of both.

"An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart," he murmured, beaming at the two of them.

"Love will thaw… love. Of course!" Elsa, riveted by some private revelation, stared first at her hands and then at the frozen fjord around them.

"Elsa?"

"Love!" Elsa exclaimed, holding her hands up. Anna's face lit up as she realized her sister was using magic. First, the ship beneath them righted itself upon the melting ice. The ice itself floated up, twisting and peeling away across the docks and through the town. Soon the entire kingdom was thawing. The sky turned from blizzard grey to fiery blue with a visible, beaming sun. Anna watched, reliving the amazement from when she first witnessed Elsa's power. Only now, she looked on with understanding… and something else.

"I knew you could do it," Anna said, resting her hand on Elsa's shoulder. She felt a ghostly pride she was sure she'd felt before. It was as if… as if she'd always believed Elsa could work miracles if she only put her mind and heart to it.

"Hands down, this is the best day of my life…" Olaf said, gushing and melting at the same time. "…and quite possibly the last," he added, still managing to smile.

"Olaf!" Elsa giggled. "Hang on, little guy!" Once again, Elsa worked her magic, this time to create a personal wintry cloud for the beloved little snowman. No sooner had Olaf's melting limbs and body re-solidified than he was chuckling and tapping his little snow-feet.

"My own personal flurry, hehehe!"

Anna looked from her sister to their goofy, enchanted friend and laughed a little. _Everything's going to be just fine now_ , she started to think to herself. But a familiar voice shattered the moment.

 _Hans_.

Anna stopped Kristoff from charging over to the deceitful prince. _She_ would handle this. She stalked up to him with her fists clenched and her insults ready – not that she knew what to say to him, nor was she sure that there was anything _to_ say. If Hans needed to be told what he'd done was wrong, well…

The prince was in the middle of resetting his jaw when he noticed her. His eyes went wide. "Anna?" he said, pushing himself away from the ship's rail to move closer to her. "But she froze your heart…"

She thought she would have found some joy in his bewilderment. But even as she said, "The only frozen heart around here is _yours_ ," and turned away from him, she felt… cheated. What she'd said was clever and perfectly true. Shouldn't she be happy that Hans was to witness her happy ending?

Suddenly, Anna wheeled on Hans. She punched him flat in the face with strength that hurled him overboard. The huge splash made her feel a little better.

Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf were waiting with smiling faces when she turned back to them. Anna leapt forward to hug her older sister, smiling brightly at Kristoff over Elsa's shoulder. They'd been through so much together; she was sure she wouldn't have made it this far without the reindeer, the snowman or – especially – the misjudged misanthrope. Now she and Elsa would be able to depend on each other too…

"That's funny!" Olaf exclaimed. Anna looked over to see the snowman using his stick hands to hold his head up high enough to peer over the port rail.

Anna almost dismissed it but Elsa asked, "What is it?"

Olaf's little stick-hands rotated his head to face the sisters. "Do you think he can't swim?"

"What?!" Anna shrieked, tearing free from Elsa to peer out into the water with Olaf. Hans was nowhere to be seen! She and the snowman simultaneously took turns giving each other sidelong stares and then gawking down from the rail. "I don't know. What? Wait, I don't know. How long has it been? Do you think he's drowning? I didn't mean to –"

But Kristoff and Elsa both appeared behind her, Kristoff clapping his hands down on her shoulders. "For goodness' sake, Anna, calm down." Anna tilted her head back to look at him, thankful but still shaken. Kristoff let out a sigh and muttered, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Doing what?" Anna and Elsa asked together, bewildered when Kristoff flung his mittens and boots off. When it appeared Kristoff's shirt would be off next, the sisters sheepishly turned their heads away.

"Wow…" Olaf said. "That's a lot of hair!" Anna's eyes grew wide.

" _Olaf_!"

"Is that normal? We snowmen don't have a lot of hair," Olaf explained, gesturing on top of his head in case Anna had never noticed. Another splash sounded. Anna, Elsa and Olaf gathered along the starboard rail, peering down at the disturbed water where Kristoff had dived in.

They held their breaths…except for Anna. "They probably teach royals how to swim on the Southern Isles, wouldn't you think?" Anna asked.

"He didn't drown, Anna," Elsa said. But Elsa didn't look away from the water when she said it.

 _Great_ , Anna thought. Everything had been resolved and she'd given them something new to worry about. She hadn't been able to help herself, not after everything Hans had done.

Together the two sisters watched the water. A small pop made Anna glance down just in time to see Elsa's hands on the wooden rail. The part Elsa touched was iced over. Elsa's white knuckles trembled.

Anna reached out but immediately stopped herself. Even though Elsa stood next to her, it felt like she was a child on the other side of a locked room again. Would Elsa just push her away?

The ice receded when Kristoff's head popped back up out of the water. He shook the wet hair out of his eyes and swam closer to the ship. "I don't see him anywhere!" he yelled.

"Are you certain?" Elisa cried down, helping Anna pick up a rope secured to the deck to toss down to Kristoff so he could climb up.

"Fairly certain," Kristoff answered. "But it was hard to see, and I could only dive so far…" Step by step, Kristoff pulled himself by the rope up the side of the ship until he was able to climb on deck. "If he can't swim…"

Elsa swung her hand up to cast but Anna grabbed her. "Wait! We don't know if he's down there."

The queen faltered, her eyes wildly fixed upon the water. "I can… I can part the fjord, make two walls of ice. If he's at the bottom, we'll see him."

"And if he gets trapped in one of those walls?" Anna asked. Usually she was the impulsive one, but she couldn't see how Elsa's plan would end well.

"Then at least I'd know where the villain is!" Elsa snapped, ripping her arm free from Anna. The instant she did it, she looked mortified. "Anna, I – I'm sorry. But we need to find him."

"We will," Anna said. She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this first chapter was going to be 4x the length of this, but I decided to break it down into shorter chapters. I'm not sure what the general preference is. If readers prefer longer chapters later on, perhaps I can return to that. Anyway - the majority of this opening part was that scene near the end of the film, so if you want a better idea of where this story is going to go, please read chapter two. :)


	2. A Royal Problem

**Frozen in Time**  
Chapter Two

* * *

Anna sucked on a potato chunk from her soup and glowered across the dining table at the guest of honor: Kristoff. Elsa naturally held the position at the head of the table with Anna on her left and Kristoff on the right. Neither one of the two had even touched their first course because there'd been no pause in the conversation since Elsa asked Kristoff if he would consider becoming Arendelle's official Ice Master and Deliverer. This was after Anna's delayed and awkward introductions. While Anna was glad Elsa was finally getting acquainted with someone who had ice in common with her, it was the one thing she didn't have in common with either of them. Not really, anyway. Sure, she'd had a piece of ice in her heart, but that wasn't the same thing as working with ice or creating it.

"…your reindeer would help you?" Elsa asked, incredulous.

"Oh, he's not MY reindeer. But he is my friend," Kristoff answered. "I guess he just cheered me on, now that you mention it." This had Elsa chuckling.

How could they sit there and act like there weren't guards patrolling the streets and town limits for any sign of Hans?

"He sounds like an interesting character!" Elsa said.

"We should all go down to see him later. He'll like you."

"You said he likes carrots, right? We can bring him some!" Elsa suggested. Then with a wink, she added, "We have only the best here in the castle."

Finally, Anna interrupted. "Are we just going to pretend everything is fine?" It was just like Elsa to hide from a problem. But she had at least expected Kristoff to stay focused. Instead he just sat there, looking startled by her change of subject.

Cool as ice, Elsa said, "Would you prefer for us to talk about how you recklessly pushed a criminal into the fjord? Or how your actions quite possibly helped him get away?"

Anna's mouth dropped open but she hardly knew how to respond. She looked to Kristoff for support but he was busy shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Elsa sighed. "I went too far. I'm sorry… I'm –"

Anna cut her off. "You're right." She tried to smile but she was sure she looked upset. She slid back in her chair and stood. "Please excuse me. I'm feeling tired." She knew that the situation was her fault. Elsa and Kristoff didn't need to agonize over the search just because that's what she was doing.

"Anna, wait! The guards will find him. I'm just a little… emotional about the whole thing. You know, with a sociopathic murderer on the loose."

"I know," Anna said. "Still, it's my fault. Sorry, I'm… really not very hungry. Let me know if you hear any—" She squealed as suddenly one of the guards burst through the door behind her.

"Your Highness!" he shouted, pausing to catch his breath. He had obviously run all the way to deliver his report. "We've searched every street, every cellar, all the shops, turned up every stone and scanned every shore of the fjord. Prince Hans is nowhere to be found."

At first, Elsa was silent. She eventually said, "I see." Anna could see from the other end of the table that Elsa was slowly retreating within herself. She would shut down and shut everyone out again, and it was Anna's fault.

"Did you try the roads? The forests?" Kristoff asked.

"We have men searching them now. But he couldn't have gotten that far without someone seeing him. No one's seen hide or hair of him."

Anna exchanged a final panicked look with Elsa and Kristoff before storming past the guard. She ignored the calls behind her, wanting nothing more than to be ashamed alone. Either she had murdered Hans or he was out there somewhere… up to something.

* * *

Anna locked her door and collapsed into bed. So much had happened in just a couple of days. Her body was still sore from her first journey out of Arendelle. Her head still hurt from trying to process everything; being frozen hadn't helped. Her heart still hurt from…that backstabbing idiot. Didn't poetic justice demand that she get a LITTLE satisfaction? All she wanted was to hurt him for everything he'd done. "Not KILL him!" she cried, exasperated.

But somehow that paled in comparison to Elsa's words. Anna tossed over on her side. It stung to be called reckless. True, she knew herself to be guilty of not always thinking things through… but Elsa had been the one to summon a blizzard to their home. Elsa had been the one to run away from it!

"How am I the reckless one?" she asked her pillow. Then she laughed at herself. As children, she and Elsa had never really argued. Even during the time Elsa ignored her, Anna could never really _blame_ her sister. Their first real fight had been at the coronation celebration. Now that there was no blizzard or faux fiancé standing between them, things could have been normal.

"Nothing else to do but wait for more news," she whispered. But another part of her wondered what would happen if Hans was really gone.

A soft knock at the door pulled her away from her thoughts. Hopeful that it was Elsa, Anna hopped out of bed and unlocked her door. But the visitor was not her sister.

"Kristoff!"

"Anna…" he started, seeming to search her face. He hesitated, trying to decide on the words. Then he asked, "Are you all right?"

Anna felt her cheeks glow as she took in his concern. "Who, me? I'm fine!" She smiled and wished she could tell him everything. It meant so much that he was here for her. But she couldn't drag him into her doubts and her fears.

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. Obviously he hadn't expected her to be cheerful. "No, really!" Anna insisted. "Yes, I'm concerned that Hans is creeping around the castle grounds somewhere – or WORSE, that I accidentally murdered my would-be murderer—"

"Worse?!" Kristoff exclaimed. "He tried to kill you AND your sister."

Anna looked up at him. Her smile faded as she allowed herself to become serious. "I know that. Believe me, I'm angry. But…it's up to his family to punish him. I'm not a killer, Kristoff."

But he was shaking his head, looking past her. Whatever he was originally going to say, he let it go. But he did say, "They may be no better than him."

"We don't know that."

Kristoff frowned in defeat. But he quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded napkin to hand to her.

"What's…?" Anna started to ask, unfolding the napkin.

"I nabbed those for you from the dessert tray. Sorry, looks like they're a little melted."

Anna gawked down at blobby remains of the four chocolate truffles in the napkin. Then she giggled and slapped Kristoff on the arm.

"Hey! I said I was sorry!" he said with a grin. Anna stuck one of the melted truffles into her mouth and started laughing harder, offering up the other three to share. But Kristoff just shook his head.

When Anna calmed down, the two just stood there for a moment. When one thought the other wasn't looking, they would steal a quick glance. But their eyes were otherwise glued to the floor.

Finally, Kristoff started to speak. But so did Anna. "After you," Kristoff said.

"Thank you for the chocolate," she said. When it looked like he was waiting for more, she added, "… and for checking on me. I'm all right. But… I'm exhausted too. I should probably turn in for the night…"

Kristoff hesitated, then nodded glumly. "Of course." He gazed softly into Anna's eyes and asked, so quietly that she almost didn't hear, if he could give her a kiss goodnight.

Anna nodded and closed her eyes with her face tilted up toward him. Her cheeks were hot again. She'd never been kissed before! She'd wanted Hans to kiss her back when her life depended on true love's kiss… and admittedly, because she thought she loved him.

Love. Kissing. Did she love Kristoff? Was love a requirement for a first kiss? Did he love _her_? But before Anna could panic any further, she felt Kristoff's lips briefly touch her cheek. When she opened her eyes, he smiled. Had she done something wrong or is that what he had meant?

"That was… nice," she murmured, unable to gauge her disappointment. A silence lingered over them before she said, "Goodnight, Kristoff."

"Goodnight," he answered.

When each had given the other an awkward wave, Anna closed her door and turned back into her room.

"I have to fix this," she thought aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been on FFnet forever, but I'm new to Ao3. I've heard good things about it! But I'm still getting used to the differences... anyway, thank you for reading!


	3. The Secret Search

Anna had gone to sleep as soon as she decided to act. With Hans potentially on the loose, there was no way Elsa would allow Anna to leave the safety of the castle. Anna's only option was to slip out earlier than anyone would expect her to be out of bed.

But there was also the matter of being seen. She couldn't have any of the guards see her sneaking out. Fortunately—sometimes unfortunately—she had spent most of her childhood exploring every corner of the castle after her sister would no longer play with her. Anna would have gone mad if she hadn't had the library to browse, the chapel pews to crawl between, the roofs to scale and much more. She knew which corners were best for hiding and which suits of armor wouldn't clang and rattle if she ducked behind them. She knew which of the garden shrubbery didn't have any spiders.

She had half-expected Elsa would have had the castle gates shut, but with royal guards patrolling back and forth between the castle and the village, it must have been decided against. Still, it seemed risky to leave the doors wide open with Hans potentially roaming free. That is unless everyone was convinced he had drowned.

A wave of nausea slowed her down. She had to pause in the shadows to still her mind from conjuring images of a ghostly Hans at the bottom of the fjord. She hated him, but she didn't know how she'd live with herself if she had been the cause of his death.

_Focus, Anna._

She counted to ten and then peered out at the open gate. Open though it was, it was guarded. She could try finding an exit from one of the secret passages back in the castle, but then she'd risk bumping into Elsa. She could also chance her luck fetching her horse from the stables and storming through the gate, but Kjekk had not been reliable last time she left Arendelle.

The secret passage was looking better by the minute. But just as she was about to cave to that option, a large horse-drawn cart wheeled through the gate. The driver exchanged a greeting with the guard. Anna couldn't hear at her distance, but she was sure the guard was explaining that the castle was not open to traders at the moment. Fortunately this trader seemed rather insistent.

After a heated debate in which the trader kept lifting the cover draped over the cart to show the guard goods he deemed worth showing so early in the morning when the gates were technically closed to traders, the guard beckoned the trader to follow him. When the trader indicated concern about leaving his cart unguarded, the guard shut the gate and once again beckoned the trader to join him. Anna groaned from her hiding spot. She had hoped the gate would be left open.

Anna checked for any other guards but it appeared that all but the one were either in the castle or out hunting for Hans. Maybe she could… but if the trader was welcomed into the castle… still, there was no other way out that she could think of. With one last check for guards or anyone that might see her, Anna made a break for the cart. The horse neighed and stomped at first, but when Anna fed her an apple she'd taken down from her room with her, they seemed to come to an understanding.

Anna stepped around to the back of the cart and lifted the cover. Beneath were just burlap bags in crates with "COFFEE" printed on them. Anna shrugged and climbed underneath the cover into a space between the crates. She breathed in deeply with her nose. She'd only had coffee a handful of times as it wasn't common in Arendelle. The taste was not her favorite, but the scent sure was pleasant. Now she would just sit and wait… and hope that Elsa would turn the trader away.

* * *

 

Anna woke with a start when the cart shuddered into movement. She was so exhausted that she had dozed off while waiting. She held in a yawn and stayed as still as possible to listen.

"I'll be back next week," said the trader. "Unless the next kingdom over buys the whole stock." So Elsa had turned him away! The trader's misfortune made Anna's lucky day.

"Hmph" was the only reply the guard would give. Anna felt the cart turn around followed by the opening of the gates. She peeked through the cracks between the boards in the cart, watching the ground as the trader rode out onto the bridge to town. The horse had barely led the cart outside when the gates closed behind them.

"Bah!" the tradesman scoffed. "I should have gone first to Grimmstad. Let's go, Snoull."

Anna was afraid the bumpy ride would make her ill but the tradesman's singing was the worst part. " _Bridge, bridge, breja_ ," he sang. " _Sticks and stones. All good reindeer! No one will be allowed to pass._ "

Onward, the cart rolled. Anna could not wait for the ride to end. It sounded like a child's song, which would be fine if the driver could sing on-key. Anna wasn't familiar with the song but she could tell the trader was doing it little justice.

" _Before saying his dearest's name_ ," the trader squawked on. " _What is her name_?"

The horse suddenly stopped short and Anna surged forward, planting her forehead into one of the crates. "Yowch!" she hissed, unheard. The horse whinnied in response to the driver before continuing on. This went on twice more before they finally crossed into town. Anna could have rolled out of the cart and kissed the street, she was so grateful. But she waited, peeking out from the edge of the cart until they wheeled into a less crowded part of town. There she gingerly crawled down and crouch walked to a little alley between two shop buildings.

Although Arendelle was not bustling as much as the day of the coronation, the town felt more awake than the castle. Anna took in the distant cries of merchants and the laughter of children playing on some other unseen street. She could smell fresh bread close by; mouth watering, she wished she'd eaten before sneaking out, or that she had at least packed more than the one apple. But now was no time to dwell on food.

She peered out at the main road again. Though none were in sight yet, the royal guards would be patrolling Arendelle's streets. It would be wiser for her to take an unconventional route out of the village. Wait, where was she even going?

Hans was last seen on that ship in port before she…

But where would he head next? She was assuming that he didn't drown. But how could she be sure? There had been no sign of him. She didn't have magic to show her. Elsa's powers were not that kind of magic. Did such magic even exist? It wouldn't be found in Arendelle, that was for sure.

Then she had an idea. The only other place she had seen magic–OLD magic–was at the Valley of Living Rock. Maybe Kristoff's family had magic that could reveal whether Hans was alive… and better yet, where to find him.


	4. A Troubled Queen

The queen had thought that a good night's sleep would help relax her, but she woke thinking of events from the previous day. When she tried to pull her blankets off, they wouldn't budge. She looked down and immediately spotted the problem: ice. Hans's disappearance must have haunted her in her sleep too.

Elsa quickly thought of Anna's sacrifice again and used the happy memory of Anna returning to normal to disperse the ice from her blankets. With a wave of her hand, her nightdress turned to the light blue gown she'd grown used to wearing in her ice palace. She sighed and sat down at her dressing table. Yesterday it seemed so simple being both Queen Elsa and magical Elsa.

"Baby steps," she said to her reflection. Her stomached growled. "Right… a good place to start might be breakfast."

* * *

Elsa was nowhere near as food-obsessed as her little sister. Even so, she was grateful for dining again at Arendelle Castle. Marshmallow probably would have been able to catch birds or deer, but Elsa almost lost her appetite at the thought of having to make meals out of them. It's not as though she would have been able to survive by eating just snow.

"Your Majesty?" someone said from a corner behind her.

Elsa turned around and beamed when she saw Gerda, one of her most trusted servants. "Good Morning, Gerda!" Then she realized from Gerda's expression that something was wrong. "Is something the matter?"

"It's just… I was going to ask the same question. You've not touched the food. Would you like something else from the kitchens?" Gerda asked. Elsa glanced back at the table; there sat several plates of cheese, fruit jam and smoked fish. Then she looked at the empty plate right in front of her.

"No! I was just lost in thought. Have you eaten yet? Would you care to join me?" Immediately after she'd asked, she knew it was a breach of etiquette. It was an old habit from the days when Elsa used to lock herself away in her room. Gerda would bring meals to her and initially try to converse with the princess through the closed door. She and Kai had not known about Elsa's powers. But they noticed the change in the elder princess right around the same time that the King and Queen ordered the castle to be isolated from the rest of the kingdom. One day, Elsa had opened the door for her and asked Gerda to eat with her. But Elsa had been like a skittish stray back then. Some days, she would not answer the door at all and Gerda would just leave the tray in the hall for Elsa to take when she was ready. Other days, Elsa would have the door open just a crack, waiting for Gerda to appear.

No wonder Gerda worried about her.

"No, thank you," Gerda said. Elsa was grateful that Gerda did not chide her for the invitation. "I am sure Princess Anna will be joining you shortly. I must get started on the washing."

"I see… please excuse yourself then," Elsa answered. She smiled to mask the disappointment.

When Gerda left, Elsa took a slice of bread, smoked salmon and cheese for her plate. Even though smoked salmon was one of her favorites, Elsa found that she wasn't very hungry after all. She thought being at the dinner table was odd last night. It was even stranger when she was the only one sitting there.

As if on cue, the dining hall door opened. Elsa set her food down, about to welcome Anna or Kristoff. But it was Kai who entered the room.

"Good Morning, Your Majesty," Kai bowed. Only when Elsa greeted him did he straighten himself. "When you are finished here, Lord Harald requests to meet in the Council Chamber…"

"Harald is still here?" Elsa asked. Lord Harald had been Regent to Arendelle before Elsa came of age. He was a distant cousin of her father's, a decade older than herself and had no wife or children. He had been efficient but bold while managing Arendelle's affairs. While the man had never done anything to warrant Elsa's dislike, she distinctly remembered being extra careful about hiding her secret from him.

"I think he wants to discuss Prince Hans's disappearance..." Kai said.

"Please go with me when I speak with him."

"Your Majesty?"

"He makes me feel uneasy, Kai. I don't know what it is. Please."

"Of course," Kai answered. Then he bowed and exited the room, informing her on his way out that he would wait for her to finish her meal.

* * *

"You are not nearly as alarmed as I hoped you'd be," Lord Harald said. They sat with one seat between them at the long council table. Kai sat across from them, mostly ignored except for when Elsa would give him a nervous glance. But the longer Elsa sat with Lord Harald, the more her anxiety turned to annoyance.

"The royal guards are working on finding Hans as we speak," she said. "It doesn't do much good to panic."

Lord Harald leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "I'm not suggesting that you panic, Your Highness." Elsa raised her eyebrow at him. "Your Majesty. I'm only asking you to question whether you've taken as much action as necessary at this point."

"What more would you suggest?" Elsa asked. She had planned to wait until the end of the day before acting further. She had not yet decided what to do next if Hans was still not found.

"First I would look at all outcomes. Suppose that Prince Hans is dead—drowned. The Southern Isles will need to know the exact details of the accident. They may demand to put Princess Anna on trial. They may insist that you yourself reprimand her. They may take into account Prince Hans's own actions. But if they find out from some other source before they hear it from the Arendelle Crown..."

"But we don't know for certain that he's dead," Elsa argued.

"True, but how would you take it if Princess Anna went missing in the Southern Isles? What would you think if they didn't report this to you _immediately_?"

Elsa froze up. As negative as Lord Harald was being, he had a point. If Anna was missing in the Southern Isles and the royals there did not inform Elsa, she would find it extremely suspicious.

"So you're suggesting that I tell them he's...missing?" Elsa asked.

Kai finally cut in by clearing his throat. Both Harald and Elsa looked to him. "Your Majesty," Kai began. "If I may?"

Lord Harald scoffed. "What _is_ he doing in here? That's been bothering me since we began," he said.

"Kai has loyally served this family for ages. I trust him and consider his advice equal to your own, Lord Harald," Elsa said, doing her best not to raise her voice. She did not want to lose her cool in front of this man. Lord Harald put his hands up in mock surrender and then gestured for Kai to contribute to the conversation.

"While I agree with His-lordship that the Southern Isles must receive the news from you and no one else, I feel it may be premature to notify them until the end of the search. To be frank, I think it might make matters worse. Suppose that the prince is acting on some plot we don't know about yet? If the Southern Isles first thinks Hans is missing by Princess Anna's fault, are they as likely to take our side if he lashes out?"

Lord Harald spoke again before Elsa could agree. "Do you think the Southern Isles will take our side if they find out we waited to tell them their prince was attacked?"

Elsa sighed. Lord Harald was not wrong.

"We need to be as up front as possible with them if you wish to maintain a diplomatic relationship."

Elsa wanted to bury her head in her hands and shout for Lord Harald to be quiet. But no matter how she looked at it, both he and Kai were right. How was she supposed to make a decision then?

"My Queen?" Lord Harald prompted.

"I appreciate your counsel, Harald. I will let you know," Elsa answered. She could see in his face that it was not the answer he wanted.

Elsa stood, about to excuse herself when Lord Harald touched her arm. He was gentle, but it was still unwanted contact.

"In other words, you will not write to the Southern Isles immediately?" he asked.

Elsa stared down at him, stunned that he would not leave it alone. She had been under so much stress these past few days. She did not want to take it out on him, but he was nearly asking for it.

"Her Majesty just needs to think on it. I beg Your Lordship to have patience and trust in our queen," Kai said suddenly. He looked at Elsa rather than at Lord Harald. The tension in the room tripled with Kai's impertinence. Elsa had to bite her cheeks to keep from grinning at him. Fortunately, Lord Harald said nothing.

"I'll take my leave now. I need time to think," Elsa said, nodding to them both. She would have to thank Kai later.

* * *

Elsa roamed the halls with no particular destination. She barely registered the looks of concern on faces of the servants she passed by. She was too wrapped up in her thoughts, replaying the conversation from the council chamber over and over in her head. She did not want to risk seeming suspicious to the Southern Isles, but she also did not want to act rashly.

She stopped in her tracks, suddenly thinking of Anna. By coincidence, she had stopped only a few doors down from Anna's bedroom. How was her sister coping with everything? Not for the first time, Elsa regretted her harsh words toward Anna; if only things could be as simple between them as when they were children.

"But I managed to hurt her even back then…" Elsa mumbled. Still, she approached Anna's door, preparing an apology with each step. She counted six apologies by the time she reached the door.

_I'm sorry I hid my powers from you, I'm sorry for the blizzard, sorry I ran away. I'm sorry you almost died because of me. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm sorry you had to grow up so alone._

It was just Anna on the other side of the door but Elsa was still afraid. Still, she owed it to Anna to be brave. With one deep breath to shake off her fears, Elsa collected herself and knocked lightly on the door.

There was no answer. Maybe Anna hadn't heard?

Elsa knocked a second time, a little harder this time. But she didn't hear one peep from Anna's room.

"So this is what it feels like," Elsa whispered, recalling all the times she had ignored Anna's attempts to connect with her. _No…_ _she must be sleeping._ Gerda had complained to her once before about Anna's habit of sleeping in. It was probably still too early for Anna to be awake.

Elsa left the door, deciding she would leave Anna be for now. But she still wanted to speak to someone. It didn't have to be about whether or not to write to the Southern Isles. She would actually prefer to take her mind off of that.

She turned right at the end of the corridor, entering the guest wing. All the rooms had been filled for the coronation, but most of the ambassadors and local nobles had returned home once the blizzard cleared. She slowed her pace, trying to remember which room she'd insisted Kristoff use during his stay. Right as she remembered, a servant opened the door and came out of Kristoff's guestroom.

"Excuse me!" Elsa said, startling the poor girl. "Is Kristoff in there?"

"No, Your Majesty, begging your pardon. I think he said he was going down to the stables to see a Sven," she answered. Then she curtsied.

"Thank you," Elsa answered. She would make a quick stop in the kitchens and then find Kristoff.

* * *

Horseback riding had never been Elsa's favorite. Now that she could ride a gale of ice and snow wherever she pleased, she hardly imagined herself spending much time around horses. Even growing up, her parents shielded her from the outside world as much as possible, so riding had been unnecessary. Besides that, the stables tended to smell. For those reasons, Elsa had never spent a great amount of time in the stables. She entered the building now, shyly clutching a basket of carrots as she asked a groom where the reindeer was being kept. The boy gaped at the queen at first, seemingly stunned by her presence. She chuckled and asked him a second time, helping him snap out of the shock.

Elsa followed the groom's directions to the very end of the stables. Apparently Sven was kept far away from the horses, just in case. As she neared the end of the building, her ears picked up a conversation.

"…gave me a blanket! A blanket!" said a coarse, goofy kind of voice. "How's the food?"

Although they were still out of sight, Elsa recognized the second voice immediately. "It's great! And they're feeding you down here?" Kristoff asked.

"You bet! Hey, what's the castle like?" the other voice asked.

Elsa stopped, staying quiet so she could hear this part of the conversation without interrupting it.

"Oh, it's…" Kristoff started, hesitating. "It's REALLY big and fancy! It's not really my style, but it's certainly nice! There are portraits everywhere though, staring down like they're all judging you. I could do without those!" At that comment, Elsa snorted with laughter.

"Hey, who's there?!" Kristoff called out.

Elsa stepped out of the shadows. "I've been found out," she said. Then she saw the beautiful tan and white reindeer smiling playfully in the stall before Kristoff. "This must be Sven?"

"Yup!" Kristoff nodded, turning various shades of first pink and then red. "How long were you standing there?"

To spare him some embarrassment, Elsa walked around him to get a closer look at Sven. Sven seemed positively thrilled to meet her. He danced back and forth on his hooves, snorting and making eyes at her basket.

"Long enough to wonder if Sven is a talking reindeer," Elsa grinned. It would not be such a strange thing, considering she had icy powers. "Well, Sven? Would you like a carrot?" She giggled when Sven nodded vehemently and hung his neck over his stall door.

"Oh, would I!" that bizarre voice replied. It didn't exactly come from Sven, Elsa could tell. Sven looked exasperated by her sudden distraction, pleading for her attention through snorts and jumping.

Finally, Elsa's eyes rested on Kristoff, who still looked oddly sheepish about…something.

"Was that…?" Elsa asked.

"Was what?" Kristoff replied a little too quickly.

"That voice…" Elsa finally picked a carrot out of her basket and lifted it up for Sven, who wasted no time in chomping off the end of it. "Was that him or…?"

Kristoff coughed and looked away with a grin. "Sven's a little shy. He just got excited because of the carrots. May I?" He extended his hand toward the basket. Elsa passed it to him, realizing now that both voices belonged to Kristoff.

"Shy, huh? All right," she said, watching as Kristoff held another carrot up for Sven. The reindeer took his time with the second one but his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Where's Anna?" Kristoff aked suddenly.

Elsa sulked a little, remembering that she didn't get to apologize to her sister yet. "I think she's still resting," she said. "A lot has happened… she's probably worn out."

Kristoff gave Sven a scratch behind the ear and said something about saving the rest of the carrots for later. He set the basket down in front of the stall. "You must be worn out too," he said, looking at Elsa again.

"I just need to clear my head and then I'll be fine," she answered. "…can I ask you something?"

"Sure, I guess?"

"You were talking to Sven before, right? And talking for him?" she smiled. Just like that, Kristoff turned red and seemed to have trouble making eye contact with her.

"I know it's silly. Yes, that was me. He doesn't have a voice of his own, but I know him so well, I kind of speak for him… honestly, I don't even know sometimes when I'm doing it. It's like possession by reindeer," he explained, trying to make light of it.

"I think it's great that you two are that close," Elsa said.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Kristoff studied her for a moment. "Well, Sven is something like a brother to me… though not by blood…or even the same species. But we grew up together. You and Anna seem really close too."

Elsa's smile became sad at the mention of her sister. "We were, once. I feel terrible about the things I said to her yesterday. Here Anna and I finally have a chance to be close again, and I may have ruined it…"

Kristoff was quiet for a second. Even Sven stopped snorting once he sensed the changed atmosphere.

After some thought, Kristoff spoke. "From what Anna told me, you two were isolated from each other for a long time. It makes sense that things feel a little strained right now. But you obviously care for each other… you just need to reason and talk things out, and everything will be fine. I know how much you mean to Anna. I've seen it."

It was true. Even though Elsa ignored her for years, Anna had never given up on her. Her little sister had always sensed her pain, had always tried to reach Elsa.

She turned to him excitedly. "Kristoff… you're very kind and insightful. I can see why Anna likes you. Thank you! I… I'm going to go speak with Anna right now," she said. She waved and dashed, barely giving Kristoff the opportunity to say anything.

Elsa ran all the way back up to the castle, dodging a couple of bewildered servants and guards in her path. When she reached Anna's door, she knocked once again. There was still no answer, but Elsa was not about to let that discourage her. She tried the door handle next; the door opened.

But Anna wasn't in her bed. She wasn't at the dresser or by the window. She wasn't in her room.

"She must be up by now," Elsa murmured to herself. "I'll bet she's eating breakfast!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read somewhere that Jennifer Lee had originally planned for a regent character in the film... so that's where Harald came from.


	5. The Resourceful Princess

Between ducking behind bushes or villagers' homes and constantly checking whether or not a guard was in the path ahead, it took Anna some time to reach the gate up the eastern slope. Then she had to peek from behind a spruce barely taller than herself to count the guards on duty. She almost sank to the ground; she might be able to distract one guard, but three would be impossible.

"I didn't know you were playing hide-and-seek with us!" a friendly voice suddenly spoke from knee-level. Anna jumped.

"Olaf!" she hissed. But she grinned, no match for his contagious cheerfulness.

"Anna!" Anna held her finger up over her lips. "Ohh. Yes, we should be quiet if we're going to hide."

"What are you doing up here?" Anna asked, looking around the tree once more to make sure none of the guards had heard Olaf.

"Playing hide-and-seek, silly!"

"Ohh… right." Anna smiled. Olaf seemed to be getting along well with the children in town. A stray memory caught her by surprise. But it was only an instant before it faded away again. She had the strangest feeling that she had once played hide-and-seek with Olaf herself. But when in the middle of Elsa's blizzard would she have had the time to do that?

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but this isn't really a good hiding spot." Olaf's comment drew Anna back to the present.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

"Olaf…"

"Anna…" he mimicked.

"I need you to do me a favor."

His face lit up. "Oh, oh! I _love_ favors!"

"Well… I'm not sure you're gonna like this one…"

Olaf's glee turned to confusion. "Why not?"

"Because… you have to keep it a secret," she explained.

Olaf clapped his little stick hands, unfazed. "I can do that!"

"…from Elsa?" Anna asked.

Olaf's face froze. One second passed. Two seconds passed. After three seconds, his jaw dropped a little and he said, "From Elsa?! Is it a surprise…party?! But it isn't her birthday! Is it a surprise engagement?!" He hopped each time he asked a question. "But that didn't work out so well last time, did it…? Is it a surprise hat? You're giving her a surprise hat, aren't you?"

"It's not a hat. Now shh, let me explain…"

* * *

Olaf had never been so nervous as when he left Anna behind the tree to walk up to the east gate. He hadn't even been this anxious when he experienced melting! He could face just about anything with a smile. He could even walk up to the three guards, smiling. It was lying that was the hard part.

"Look!" one of the guards, a blond, pointed at him as he approached. He had been leaning against the wall with his arms folded, but he came to attention when he noticed Olaf.

"Hellooooo!" Olaf waved.

"You're the Queen's pet snowman, right?" another guard asked. This one's face was nearly taken over by his bushy gray beard.

"He looks kind of weird." The third guard had shaggy dark hair. He stared down at Olaf with cold, gray eyes that made Olaf gulp.

Then Olaf remembered: every stranger could be a new friend! "My name's Olaf! I like warm hugs."

The third guard scoffed. "Yep. Definitely weird. What do you want, little one?"

Olaf gulped again. It wasn't the guard, it was the lie. But then he thought of Anna's worried face. Okay, okay. He would do it for Anna…who was doing this for Elsa.

Olaf took one deep breath.

"I saw Prince _Hans_!"

All three guards drew their swords, exclaiming together, "Where?!"

Olaf nearly shrieked. Anna had not coached him this far through. Where? Where did he 'see Prince Hans'?

"Ahhh…" Olaf covered his eyes as if in great distress and pointed in a random direction behind him. "Sneaking around back there!"

"Move quickly!" the blond guard yelled, leading the others downhill. Olaf uncovered his eyes and watched them dash past. The bearded one suddenly stopped and wheeled around.

"Weird little snowman! Stay at this gate. Do NOT let the villain pass out of Arendelle!" he instructed before tearing off after his partners.

"Okaaay…" Olaf rocked back and forth on the verge of hyperventilating. He had just fibbed. He'd fibbed BIG time. Would Elsa find out? What would she think?

He calmed down a little as he saw Anna walk up to meet him. But the calm quickly turned to worry.

"Are you sure you want to do this? What if you do find him? He's dangerous…"

"This is just something I have to do, Olaf."

"Why not tell Elsa and Kristoff?"

Anna had seemed so sure of herself before, but now she hesitated. "Elsa would just try to stop me… and I've already bothered Kristoff enough," she said, looking towards the forest beyond the open gate. "Olaf… I need to go before they realize I'm gone." She started to leave.

"Wait!" Olaf lifted his arms to Anna and smiled. "Let me hug you good luck!"

Anna teared up a little as she crouched down to hug him. Had it been fate that Olaf had run into her when she was trying to sneak out of Arendelle, or just dumb luck? Either way, he had been there for her when Hans had left her to die too. She knew she could count on him.

"Thank you," she said, squeezing him just a bit.

"Come back safe and sound and soon."

Anna stood and turned her back towards Olaf so he wouldn't see her concern as she started for the gate. She had only been to the Valley of Living Rock the one time. Would she be able to find her way there again? Maybe if she had a map, she could.

* * *

"Yoo-hoo! Winter Blowout Sale—oh, it's you."

Anna smiled. "Hello again!" She was glad the path had led directly to Wandering Oaken's Trading Post. More than that, she was glad to have a break from the hot sun.

"That rude fellow from before didn't follow you here again, did he?" Oaken asked.

"Do you mean Kristoff? He's not really rude… he's just… socially challenged at times," she explained. She gazed around the trading post, amazed by the change in the display after just a couple of days. "Do you have any of that sun balm left? And do you carry maps?"

Oaken suddenly grew very stern. "Do I carry maps? Of _course_ I carry maps." He ducked below the counter, startling Anna with his disappearance. Just when she started to wonder if she had actually offended him, Oaken stood up with his arms full of rolled parchment. He dropped them on the counter all at once and proudly looked up. "The sun balm is sold out, unfortunately… but since rumor has it that it was you who got rid of the kingdom's blizzard, I'll let you take one map for free."

"Wow! I mean, thank you!"

Oaken left her to browse. Most of the maps were local to Arendelle; a few charted distant lands she'd never heard of. The maps of Arendelle itself were each unique, but they all had one common inconvenience: they said nothing of the Valley of Living Rock.

 _I need to try a different approach,_ she thought. She pushed all but three Arendelle maps away and lined the three maps up side by side. The first one was beautifully illustrated, detailing the castle, town and forests in bright color. The second was older, merely sketched out in dark ink. But the trails were more detailed than on the first map; forks, caves and dead-ends drawn there were missing from the first map. Finally, the last map looked most practical for travelers and hikers. It actually had the names of places, roads and mountains.

"Mountains…" Anna murmured. She hovered one finger over the trading post drawn on the map. The path she'd taken there had led her northwest. When she and Kristoff had left the trading post in search of Elsa days before, they'd continued northwest. Her finger rested on the words 'North Mountain' as she recalled how frightened Elsa had been of being a danger to Anna.

"Then we were chased out," she said, drawing an invisible line east from the North Mountain to a blank space in a circle of other peaks. "This must be it. I have to go east."


	6. The Uncharted Forest

So as not to be a freeloader—and to make her journey easier—Anna purchased a few supplies before taking the path north from Wandering Oaken's Trading Post. The way was straightforward and lined by trees. She encountered no one on the road, but that was not surprising. With the mountains to the north, many travelers preferred routes by sea. But though Anna was certainly alone on the road, the world around her was noisy. Insects buzzed past her ears and birds chirped from the trees. Red squirrels scampered up trees when they noticed the human approach. Anna grinned, enjoying the wildlife she'd missed on her previous journey.

She stopped to rest after an hour, sipping from her waterskin. The forest around her provided little shade now that the sun was directly overhead. When she finished drinking, she took out the map.

"All right!" She glanced at the markings she'd made around the location she assumed was the Valley of Living Rock. "How am I supposed to tell when I should start east?" There were no landmarks around her, just trees. The map did not show a break in the trees until the mountains farther north.

Anna glanced off the path to the right. There was no distinct trail on the map between this road and the trolls' lands. There was a good chance she'd get lost once she left the road.

She studied the map, double-checking for any streams or breaks in the forest that might lead the way. Instead she caught something she hadn't noticed before; a stray line leading off the current road. It looked like a dead-end, but it at least pointed in the direction of the Valley of Living Rock. If she could find this little stray path, she could use it as a stepping stone at least.

With newfound hope, Anna tucked the map away and resumed the trail northward. Two scurrying squirrels and one red deer later, Anna found it: the small branch off the road. It was nearly invisible and certainly would have been missed if she hadn't been searching for it. To the careless eye, it would just appear to be a grassy patch of land on the side of the trail. But upon closer look through the overhanging branches and encroaching vines, Anna could make out a path. It clearly hadn't been used in a long time. Anna groaned at the thought of hacking her way with the flimsy dagger she'd purchased from Oaken. Sure, it would make an acceptable defense weapon for when she found Hans, but it wasn't exactly designed to cut through overgrown flora.

Anna thought longingly of the heavy snow that had covered the land days ago. It was heavy enough that it would have weighed down the obstacle plant life. Winter also meant fewer insects and arachnids.

"Ugh."

Finally, she took out her dagger and made a slow but determined start through the thick, wild vines.

* * *

It was slow progress, but when Anna's arm was just starting to burn from all of the unusual exercise, she came to the end of the overgrowth. It felt like she'd been working for hours, taking only a few steps every few minutes, the vines were so thick. For there to be such an abrupt end was startling. It made Anna wonder if someone was maintaining the hidden path from the other side.

She checked her map again. Of course, it was impossible to tell where she was exactly since the hidden path was shown as a dead-end. But there was no mistaking it as a path. She just wondered where it would lead her. What else was around for miles besides the Valley of Living Rock? It struck Anna then how little she knew of Arendelle outside of the castle and village.

Well, here was one opportunity for her to learn more.

Anna put the map away for the moment and resumed the hidden path. She knew once Elsa sent a search party after her, they'd be able to follow her trail based on all the hacked plants behind her. She just hoped she could get more answers before they found her. She certainly wanted Hans to pay for his crimes, but she also needed to know for sure that he was alive.

She laughed bitterly at the thought. Here she was, fretting over whether or not she had accidentally killed the man who'd left her to die. What if he tried to attack her out here in the woods? She frowned, clutching the little satchel that dangled from her shoulder.

She had one advantage now that she hadn't had before: she knew what the true Hans was like. She would not be caught off-guard again.

Her next step snapped a twig beneath her boot, startling a few birds from their perches above. They screeched and zipped up through the treetops, knocking sticks and leaves to the path below. Anna covered her head to shield herself from the debris. Then she looked ahead and froze. A large, grey wolf stood staring directly at her—a mere dozen feet away. Anna scanned the trees for any others, but it seemed this was a lone wolf.

She wanted to turn and run but she doubted she could outrun the animal. How long had it been watching her? Perhaps she had startled it.

 _What do I do?_ She had completely forgotten about wolves, bears or other dangers she might face. Now she felt like a fool. Worse, she was a scared fool; a scared fool out in the wilderness by herself.

The wolf took a couple of steps toward her and that was when Anna completely lost it.

" _…for the FIRST time in forever_ ," she suddenly sang at the top of her lungs, balling her fists and holding them up while she bore her white teeth.

" _I will fix things, make them right!_  
 _For the first time in, well—everrrr, I'm well-prepared to fight…_  
 _Don't think one ol' wolf could stop me just because I'm all alone!_  
 _'cause for the first time in forever… I'm in the combat zone!_ "

This musical outburst of course bewildered and then frightened the wolf into yelping and high-tailing it south through the woods. Anna cackled as she watched the creature flee, invigorated by how swiftly the danger passed. After a second, she realized how close she could have come to being mauled to death and that was enough to make her collapse in a fit of jitters.

"I have to keep moving. I'm almost there," she assured herself. She thought of Elsa back at home, wrought with fear of Hans's escape. She remembered Kristoff's lips upon her cheek. "I have to keep moving."

It wasn't easy, but Anna picked herself up and kept walking. She started humming to herself after finding that it calmed her. She liked to think it kept other wolves away too. She was lucky the one had been alone and that it wasn't winter, when the animals were all more desperate for food.

Yes, she was most certainly lucky.

* * *

Anna let herself stop to rest only twice. After the encounter with the wolf, she did not want to linger too long in one place. But when she stopped the second time, she allowed herself to snack. She nibbled on some of the cured meat she'd purchased back at the trading post. It wasn't until she ate that she realized how hungry she was. But with no telling how long her journey might last, Anna ate very little so as to have more food for later.

As she pressed on, she fantasized about hauling Hans back to Arendelle. Elsa would be angry with her for going off on her own…at first. But then she'd see how resourceful Anna had been! Kristoff, too, would naturally be impressed that Anna had taken care of everything all on her own. Hans would know never again to trifle with either Arendelle or the royal sisters.

Anna was so lost in thought, she jumped when her next step took her into a world of dusk. She jerked her head around, gawking at the sunlit path behind her. Then she looked forward into the blue trees beyond. She took one step back. Sure enough, she felt the warmth of the afternoon. But when she stepped forward once again, the air immediately cooled. How could that be?

There was only one reasonable explanation.

Anna walked on, hurrying as she saw an end to the trail in the distance. _Yes, that must be…_ she thought, breaking into a run. She came to a vespertine valley that stretched out to grassy rock terraces against surrounding cliff faces. Everywhere she turned, there were boulders. Some of the larger standing ones leaned against each other as artistic structures. The smaller, rounder ones were spread evenly apart all across the valley.

"Ahem…" Anna cleared her throat. "Hello again!"

There was no immediate response.

"It's Anna—Kristoff's friend?" she tried. At this, the smaller rocks all trembled in place. Anna grinned as one by one, they rolled toward her and transformed into the tiny, stocky creatures she had met before.

"Anna! Anna's here!" a few of them cried, skittering over with big, toothy smiles. Some had more teeth than others.

"She's still sweet as a cupcake!" one voice yelled out. Others cheered in agreement, hopping up and down.

"D'aww." Anna blushed. She felt a sudden tug on her skirts and looked down.

One of the baby trolls looked up at her and asked, "But where's Kristoff?"

An unexpected pang of guilt came over her for not taking Kristoff with her. If she were to be honest, the thought of bringing him along hadn't occurred to her. True, they'd had an adventure together. There was even the promise of something more once she returned. But that was part of the reason she had set out to hunt Hans down. She needed to close that door before she could open another, or it just wouldn't seem right. Even if closing the door to Hans simply meant seeing that he was arrested.

"He's a guest at our castle!" Anna exclaimed, giggling at the 'ooooo's and 'aaaahhh's this news received. "I couldn't very well pull him away from nice baths and copious food!"

"Kristoff is taking baths? No way!" Bulda snorted. The rest rolled their head backs, laughing. "It must be your influence, hmm?"

"Oh, what? Me? Wait, what?" Anna gave a nervous laugh.

An ancient voice suddenly spoke above the others. "I'm glad to see your heart is now unfrozen, young lady." The giggling and teasing ceased, but the alertness of the group magnified as their leader stepped forth to greet Anna. "But you seem different than last time…"

"Huh?" Anna asked. She recognized the troll Kristoff had called 'Grand Pabbie'

"You were worried before, but you were... happy, in spite of the ice in your heart. Now… you have a sad look about you. What's happened?"

"I… came here to ask for help."

"Tell us."

She hesitated. But with a little encouragement from the younger trolls, Anna soon found herself relaying the tale of how Hans had broken her heart, left her to die and nearly murdered her sister. She told them of Kristoff's chivalry in getting her back to Hans, then of how Olaf helped her get out of the castle. She tensed as she described the events on the fjord in detail. Things got a little fuzzy when she'd turned to ice, but it was easy to describe the warmth and bliss she felt when her own act of true love had thawed the ice in her heart.

"Elsa was able to dispel the blizzard after that. But Hans disappeared before he could answer for his crimes. I need to find him before he causes any more trouble."

"Whaaaaaaaat?!" Bulda interrupted, incredulous. "Color me confused, dear. You want to _find_ the scoundrel who tried to kill you?"

"He left me for dead, actually. I had a frozen heart if you remember, so there wasn't much trying required… which might actually make the whole thing much worse but, um, my sister is very distressed about the whole thing; we're supposed to ship him back to the Southern Isles—that's his kingdom—so they can put him on trial. Plus, who knows what he could be up to if he's out on his own somewhere? But actually, I also want to make sure I didn't accidentally kill him by pushing him into the fjord."

After this speech, the trolls all stared at her with their mouths open, saying nothing. Then, they slowly drew each other into a huddle to talk amongst themselves. Every now and again, one would glance back at Anna, scrutinizing her before rejoining the hushed conversation. Eventually they broke away from the huddle, forming a semi-circle with Grand Pappie standing in front and center to address Anna.

"We may have something that can help," he said.

He and Cliff took her by the hands with Bulda following as the other trolls backed away, seeming to preoccupy themselves with other troll matters as Anna was led up the terrace steps to a cave in one of the cliffs. Anna was grateful for the guides once they were deep enough in the cave. She could barely see anything! But seconds after she had the thought, the way was lit by a soft, blue glow. She spotted the source of the light as they turned around a bend in the rock wall. There were crystals, hundreds of them, sticking out of the cavern walls and ceiling.

Anna gasped. "This place is beautiful!"

"Thank you," Bulda said.

But before Anna could ask if Bulda had anything to do with the crystals, Grand Pabbie let go of her hand. They had stopped in front of a hole in the wall that apparently led into a room. Grand Pabbie was small enough to just hop through, but it was a tight squeeze for Anna. She was almost certain Kristoff could never have entered the place, except for when he was a boy.

The place she entered reminded her of the castle chapel except that the pews were replaced by smooth chairs carved out of rock. Instead of trusses and beams, the ceiling was made of all gleaming crystals that stretched higher than Anna could fathom.

"Anna, here."

Grand Pappie turned to her from a shelf built into a far wall. In his hands he held a single, large fragment of glass with five sides. No, Anna realized upon closer look—it was a mirror fragment, not just glass.

"Um… thanks?" Anna said, carefully taking the shard from him.

"You don't see him?" Grand Pabbie asked. "Let me see that, young lady." He snatched the mirror fragment back and scratched his head in puzzlement. "You're sure you don't see him there?"

Anna shook her head no, worried now that she was wasting time while Hans could be getting farther away.

"There's only one possible explanation, Grand Pabbie," Bulda called. She had her head poked in through the entrance hole in the wall.

"But how could he? He's a human! Humans can't…" Grand Pabbie turned the mirror one way and then the other. "You're _sure_ you can't see him?"

"I'm sure! What explanation? What's going on?"

"It appears that magic is involved."

Anna's heart flopped in a panic. "HANS has magic?!" she asked, thinking of all the terrible things he might do with it.

"I don't know. Although you can't see him in this mirror, we can. But some magic is keeping me from seeing his surroundings… so I cannot tell you where he's located."

"I see…"

"The only thing we can do is send you to him."

"Send me to him?" Anna asked, though she knew better by now than to be surprised by anything when it came to magic…or trolls.

Grand Pabbie nodded. Bulda and Cliff entered the room, standing on either side of Grand Pabbie.

Anna hesitated. Was it a good idea? No. Did she have all the time in the world to consider it carefully? No. Lord only knew what Hans was planning if he'd got his hands on some kind of magical powers.

"Do it, please," she finally said.

Grand Pabbie exchanged a look of uneasiness with both Cliff and Bulda.

"You won't regret this?" Bulda asked.

"I… I don't know. It's a risk I have to take, for my sister's sake. For Kristoff."

"For you," Grand Pabbie added.

"Yeah… sure."

Grand Pabbie studied her for a second. He turned his eyes back over to Cliff and Bulda, coming to some silent understanding. Then he took the mirror fragment and bent down, using the fragment to draw a circle around Anna and confusing her as he did so.

"You must stay in the circle. Think of Hans and concentrate on the last moment you saw him," he instructed.

Anna made sure her feet were firmly planted before she closed her eyes and imagined Hans. First she saw him at the port. Then she saw him at the coronation ball. She saw him singing on the rooftop of the castle. Then she shook her head. She thought of Hans leering over her in the library after he'd put out the fire. She heard the words, ' _Oh, Anna… if only there was someone out there who loved you._ ' and felt her blood run cold; felt her head swim, her heart break. She vaguely picked up on the trolls' chanting around her, but their voices grew distant as she thought of Hans on the fjord, approaching a weeping Elsa with his sword gleaming overhead. He'd been prepared to kill her. For what?

But, no… the last moment Anna had seen Hans was when he'd seen that she was alive. She recalled the shock on his face as she threw a punch at him. She saw him fall overboard. She'd heard the splash.

Something sounding like several whips cracked through the air, startling Anna out of concentration. A bitter, gusting wind wrapped around her and then tore away from her, leaving her chilly.

Anna opened her eyes to a world of white and trees.

"Pabbie? Bulda?" she called. "Hello?" She looked around, shivering. Only the shivering made her notice the snow.

"Winter again? Oh no…" she groaned. "I must have been sent to the wrong place."

She looked ahead, seeing now that she was in the middle of a forest clearing. There was a foot of snow on the ground, and it was still flurrying. If she had known this was going to happen, she would have bought from Oaken's winter blowout sale. She hugged her body to warm herself and started trudging forward when a loud roar sounded out behind her.

Anna looked back and screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! Any guesses as to what Anna saw behind her? :D


	7. An Unfriendly Giant

"What? Like you'd rather sit at a stuffy table full of fancy food with people you're not sure how to talk to?"

All he'd asked for were carrots. But the kitchen staff stared at Kristoff like he had three heads. When he gave it a second thought, he realized that his outburst probably caught them more off guard than the request had. There was a magic word for situations like this, he was sure of it. The trolls had taught it once or twice. Obviously it hadn't really caught on.

He thought of Anna asking him to take her up the North Mountain. Then he remembered.

"Please?" he tried.

The head cook—Kristoff assumed it was the head cook because he was the largest and wore the biggest hat—handed him a few carrots. He gave Kristoff a stern stare when Kristoff didn't immediately leave.

"That's it?" Kristoff asked.

At that, the head cook threw an entire basket of carrots at him.

"Ow."

* * *

Kristoff left the kitchens scowling. But he was content with the food bundle. After the carrots, he had convinced one of the better-natured cooks to give him bread and fruit. It was past noon and if there'd been lunch in the castle, he was sure he missed it. Not that he minded. His rant about not knowing what to talk about had been sincere.

He hadn't seen Anna since the night before. He'd sort of expected that she would visit him and Sven in the stables, but she never did come. Not that he could blame her. Their last conversation had been way too awkward. What would they have to talk about over lunch?

As he reached the stables, he wondered if the two sisters had made up yet. It was hardly any of his business, but he hoped so. He couldn't help noticing how cold a room could get when the queen was on edge.

Very soon, he wouldn't have to worry about any of it. He looked forward to getting back to work. He would seek Elsa out later to discuss in detail his new role as Arendelle's Ice Master and Deliverer.

He passed all the horse stalls and finally got to Sven, still thinking about his new responsibility in the kingdom. The title sounded so…important! Would he just have a monopoly over Arendelle's ice trade? Or would he be in charge of all the other ice harvesters? Whatever the case, he hoped it didn't mean he'd have to stop cutting ice. Ice was his life!

"Look what I've got for you, buddy!" Kristoff grinned. He held the basket of carrots up and chuckled when Sven fell into a fit of excited snorts. "Who says I don't look out for you?"

"Oh boy! You're the best!"

"I know." He let Sven bite and lift two carrots from the basket. Then he set it down in front of the stall where Sven couldn't eat the rest all at once. He took a moment to start on his own lunch. It was nice spending time with just Sven. When Kristoff spent time with people, they usually expected him to talk more. Sometimes silence was just nicer.

Sven stared at him with the two carrots hanging from his muzzle like bizarre vegetable fangs. Inch by inch, the reindeer chewed the carrots up until they were no longer in sight. Then he leaned forward, stuck his tongue out and gave Kristoff a huge lick on the face.

"You're welcome!" Kristoff said.

"Have you talked to the girl yet?" Kristoff asked in Sven's voice.

"What girl?"

"You _know_ what girl," he Sven-talked back to himself. The reindeer frowned at him before swallowing the last mouthful of carrot.

Kristoff sighed. "Not since last night… things got a little weird at the dinner table. I tried to be supportive, but I think I just made things worse."

"Why don't you go talk to her?" he Sven-asked.

"I don't know if that will help."

Sven suddenly kicked the stall door, making Kristoff both jump and yelp.

Sven snorted. "Stop being lazy. You won't know until you try."

Kristoff held his hands up in surrender. When Sven was determined, there was no trifling with him.

"Okay, okay… I suppose I can go see if she wants to… go for a walk."

Sven snorted again.

"Of course I'll talk to her," Kristoff added. "I'll ask how she likes to spend summers in Arendelle."

Sven rolled his eyes. "Just go already!"

Kristoff handed the whole basket of carrots over after all. He mumbled about rationing as Sven used his antlers to hang the basket from a hook on the back wall. As Kristoff walked away, he wondered where all of his determination had gone. He recalled when he'd turned back for Anna after leaving her at the castle. This was before he'd even known of Hans's betrayal. What had he expected Anna would say when he told her how he felt about her?

She hadn't known him much longer than she'd known Hans, he just realized. It was crazy to think he was in love with her.

* * *

Kristoff felt in his bones that something was wrong when he returned to the castle. He wasn't sure _how_ he knew until he skidded on an icy floor in the hallway. Suddenly he heard shouts coming from the Great Hall. When he recognized one of the voices as the queen, he made to dash. But he slipped, completely forgetting about the ice. He almost lost his balance, but he kicked one leg out behind the other to launch himself down the hall. Balancing as best as he could, he 'skated' to the Great Hall doors. He tried to slow to a graceful stop but ended up with his face flat against the doors. They immediately opened and he nearly fell forward, but a royal guard caught him.

The Great Hall was freezing cold.

"What's going on?" he asked. Without waiting for the guard's reply, Kristoff moved past him toward a small crowd near the throne. He recognized Kai and Gerda among the group of servants. There was a noble in the mix; it was a man Kristoff had never seen before—perhaps the queen's advisor.

"…search party immediately. You must try to stay calm," Kai said. The queen leaned against him, trembling.

"We'll probably find her in town." The unknown noble tried using an equally soft voice, but it just came out as condescending.

"What if it's him? What if he did something?!" Elsa asked. Even her voice trembled. She didn't have to say Hans's name for everyone to know who 'he' was.

"Your Majesty?" Kristoff called, still outside of the group.

"Kristoff!" Elsa forced her way around the noble and the servants to go to him. "It's Anna! No one's seen her all day. She's not in her room. Please…" she touched his arm, making that part of him go cold. Her breath shook. "Please tell me you've seen her." She grasped his arm when he did not answer immediately. "Please, tell me."

"I'm sorry…" he said with growing concern. "I haven't seen Anna since last night. Maybe she went into town?"

Elsa sobbed as she let go of him. "No! Don't you get it?! The things I said… she'll think she's to blame! Hans is out there somewhere and if… if he's harmed her, I can't even… I can't lose her!"

Kristoff could not take his eyes away from her, but he did see the others in the background back away as Elsa's distress flared. It looked like they expected her to explode at any moment.

"It's okay to be upset," he said. He knew it was probably against some unwritten law to point out that the queen was being emotional.

Elsa's head snapped up to him. For a second, Kristoff worried he had made her angry. But she only nodded.

"Thank you..." she murmured. She turned back to the servants, standing up a little straighter. "Kai, arrange for a search party. We'll keep looking in the castle. We need to know when and where everyone last saw my sister."

* * *

A giant as tall as the trees growled down at Anna. Its rage was so loud that the ground vibrated when it roared. It had a plump nose, a white beard and wispy white hair on its head. But it looked more plant and rock than human with its moss-covered arms and skin the color of stone. When it reached over its shoulder, Anna saw trees growing out of its back and shoulders. The giant grabbed for one of these trees and ripped it out from its shoulder with another roar.

With two hands, the giant drew the tree up over its head, ready to strike. Anna could not believe her eyes. She just stared, feeling even smaller than she had in front of Marshmallow.

" _Move_!" a man yelled. A gloved hand grasped hers. She looked up. Before Anna could even process it, _Hans_ was pulling her toward the trees; she had to run to keep up.

Once her brain caught up to her eyesight, she came to a skidding halt in the snow and tugged her hand free. "Stop!" she hissed as he kept running. But the ground trembled with steady stomps. Anna didn't have to turn her head to know the giant was following.

"Stop later, run now!" Hans called out over his shoulder.

Anna sprinted to catch up to him though she didn't know if Hans was leading her somewhere or just trying to outrun their pursuer. Her heart raced faster with each _stomp_ that shook the earth and trees behind her. She ran on, the cold starting to bite at her feet and shoulders. It was just her luck to have to venture through ice and snow in her green summer dress and dainty shoes. The question was, where was she? It couldn't be Arendelle, not with this accumulation of snow. Not unless another magical blizzard had hit the kingdom.

"And what the heck was that giant?" she thought out loud. "This was a bad idea." She saw Hans's standing figure up ahead. She slowed until she reached him.

"He won't follow this far," Hans said. Only then did Anna notice the forest-shaking footsteps had stopped.

She narrowed her eyes. "What, are you an expert on tree-wielding giants?"

"That was no giant."

"Well it looked gigantic to me! Now where are we and how did you escape?"

But Hans looked away from her. "We should get out of this forest before dark."

"Uh, hello? Wait!" He was already walking away. "Of course I'm grateful that you saved me back there. But that doesn't make us even! You left me for dead and tried to kill my sister!"

"Your sister was a danger to the kingdom," Hans replied without stopping. The space between the trees had grown thinner and Hans would push branches out of his way with no regard for Anna following him. She repeatedly stopped branches from thwacking her in the face as they swung back in place.

"She thawed the kingdom!" Anna shouted.

"Keep your voice down," Hans said, actually turning to lower his hand in a gesture of quiet. "You'll attract wolves." He smirked at her horrified expression. He started to move forward again but the next thing she said made him pause.

"What about me? Was breaking my heart part of the plan? You smiled just like that then. Did you realize?"

Without looking at her, he shrugged. "I don't know what to say, Anna. Why even talk about this? Didn't you find another suitor not five minutes after we parted?" He laughed. "A lot of those coronation guests must be confused though. Last they heard, you and I exchanged our wedding vows."

Anna ignored her fluttering stomach. It was safe to assume that her body just wanted to vomit.

"Stop changing the subject… plotting against the throne is a serious crime! Do you think your family will let you off easily? Do you think _Elsa_ will?"

"None of that matters now," Hans muttered. Anna stopped in her tracks.

"What did you say?"

"I said—" Hans stopped when he felt his wrists forced together and something suddenly coil around them. He tugged his hands apart a second too late. Anna had bound them together with one _very_ tight knot. "What's this?" Anna grabbed the long, loose end of the rope and backed away from him, giving a test pull.

She glared at him. "I'm taking you back to Arendelle."

"You're…?" Hans sputtered, then laughed. "You're not taking me anywhere." He jerked his bound wrists to one side of him, pulling Anna toward him as if to prove his point. Anna yelped but quickly restored her composure by taking the dagger out of her satchel.

"Don't _mess_ with me."

Hans's smirk widened. "You can put the knife away. I'd much rather you cut me loose first. Oh, and you don't have to worry about me here."

Anna tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I have nothing to gain by hurting you," he said.

There was something he wasn't telling her. She put the dagger away without taking her eyes off of him.

"No, what do you mean 'here'?"

Hans rolled his eyes. "I can't tell you. I have to show you. Now let's go." He turned and started leading the way again in spite of the rope binding his wrists. Anna tugged on the rope to keep him from getting too far ahead. "Anna, seriously. We don't want to be here when it's dark."

"You're not telling me something," she said, giving a stronger tug to pull him back.

"I just _told_ you I can't _tell_ you. Follow me and you'll understand." He grabbed the rope and yanked. Hard. Anna fell forward, hauled by the rope. She tried to balance herself in front of him, but she ended up knocking him back. The two of them fell into the snow, Anna with one knee in Hans's gut.

"UGH!" Hans winced.

"I'm sorry! Ha. This is… no, I'm not sorry! This was your fault!" She moved her knee and started to stand. That's when she saw the red in the snow. "Oh my…! Your head!" She knelt beside him and felt through the snow. Sure enough, he had hit his head against a rock. "Sit up, sit up!"

Hans opened his eyes. "Let me go, Anna."

"Wh… at least let me find medical help for you! Your head is bleeding!"

"And whose fault is that?" he asked. Oddly, he didn't seem angry. That just scared Anna more.

"You're the one who ran away!" she shouted, startled when her eyes grew hot with tears.

Hans actually chuckled. "I didn't run. You pushed me into Odin's Fjord and I woke up here." He closed his eyes again, looking peaceful.

"Get up!" Anna grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him onto her so she could lift him with her as she stood. It wasn't easy. Hans moved with her, but his movement was as lazy as someone who was falling asleep. "Wake up, or I'll stab you!" She had hoped that would alarm him but he just squinted at her.

"Hey. Which way? You seemed to know… please. You can't die out here." She quickly added, "You need to answer for all that you've done!"

Hans pointed in a seemingly random direction before closing his eyes and leaning most of his weight on her again. Anna groaned and hoped, as she trudged toward where he'd pointed, that the direction would lead them to Arendelle. The sky was already dimming. Hans had said they should leave the forest before dark. She didn't want to find out why just yet.

Her shoulder burned and ached in no time, but Anna didn't have to walk long before a structure came into view through the trees. As they drew closer, Anna could see that it was a little cabin. Candlelight glowed in the windows. The sight gave Anna a little more strength. She tried nudging Hans. He grunted, but he wouldn't open his eyes. Frowning, Anna hurried toward the cabin. But she took great care with each step so that Hans wouldn't fall.

The cabin door opened and an old woman came out to meet them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to everyone who was wondering when Hans would show up. Thanks for reading!


	8. The Sami Woman

* * *

The old woman had ashy grey hair. Her round face had tiny but prominent cheekbones that stuck out even as she frowned at Anna holding Hans upright. She quickly beckoned Anna into the cabin. As soon as Anna stepped over the threshold, the woman draped a green quilt over her bare shoulders.

"Let's go to the fire and you can tell me what you were both doing in the forest near nightfall, hmm?" She spoke with an accent and more deliberately than was natural. Anna supposed she wasn't speaking her native language.

"O-okay," Anna replied through chattering teeth. The woman went around to the other side of Hans. She assisted in getting them both past a single table and chair, then to a stone hearth in the wall. There were iron pots and pans around the hearth floor as well as spare logs. Tools hung from the mantel plank on top. Anna glanced at the jars and plates sitting above. She sat on the floor after the old woman apologized for not having more furniture.

"I sold a lot when my husband passed away," the woman explained, manhandling Hans into the lone wooden chair. "Times were tough until I took up quilting again. That one never sold." She indicated the green quilt around Anna.

Anna looked down at the green quilt, puzzled. It was doing a fine job of warming her up along with the crackling fire. She observed the yellow and blue lines that made rectangles around and around the quilt. There were navy squares; diamonds, too. Little red crosses had been stitched in one great rectangle too. Maybe it wasn't beautiful by her standards, but it was comfortable.

"I could never make this," Anna said with a smile. "Thank you for letting us in… I think we would've frozen out there if not for you."

"I'm Judet," the old woman said. She had Hans's face squished still with one hand while her other held one of his eyes open. Hans groaned at the indignity.

"Anna," Anna replied. "That's Hans… be careful. He's dangerous."

Judet turned toward Anna with a little grin. "Oh, he's not so dangerous right now."

Anna couldn't help smiling. Then her brow furrowed as she remembered Hans's blood. "We… we were chased by a giant, and then I tried to take Hans back to Arendelle," she said. "He hit his head."

"I'll take care of it," Judet said, completely unfazed by Anna's mention of the giant. "There's a bed in the other room. Why don't you rest for a minute?"

Anna nodded, glad to put some distance between herself and the flames. The heat was starting to hurt. She gave one last look at Hans before finding her way to a separate room at the back of the cabin. There she found one small window and a box-bed built into the neighboring wall. A single candle lit the room. The world beyond the window was dark now. Anna climbed into the bed. It was wide enough for two people, so she stretched out to ease her stiff neck and shoulders.

Suddenly she tensed. Should she have left Judet alone with Hans? What if this was all a trick of his?

 _Stop it,_ she thought. If not for hitting his head, he could have dragged her around until she agreed to free him. Luckily, things worked out in her favor. She just hoped he'd be recovered enough by morning for her to take him back to Arendelle.

She tugged the quilt more tightly around herself and thought of home. Were Kristoff and Elsa looking for her yet? Surely everyone would have noticed she was missing by now.

She thought back to being ignored at the dinner table. It had not escaped her notice how easily Elsa and Kristoff spoke with each other even though they had only just met. As talkative as Anna herself was, neither Elsa nor Kristoff talked to her with such ease. She tried to think of Elsa talking in Sven's voice and then of Kristoff shooting ice out of his palms; no, it wasn't that they had similar personalities. If anything, Kristoff was more like herself. She thought of him standing at her door in the castle, pulling the melted truffles out of his pocket. The memory made her giggle. He was really so…innocent. He was nothing at all like the idiot in the other room.

Anna scoffed at the thought of Hans. He'd put on such a show about getting out of the forest before dark. Now it occurred to her that he may have been trying to drag her someplace where he could hold her for ransom.

"Anna."

Anna started at Judet's voice from the doorway.

"Come, help me bring Hans. He should rest sitting up. Lying might be bad for his head," she said, disappearing back to the main part of the cabin.

 _Lying indeed_ , Anna thought. Rather reluctantly, she got out of the box-bed and followed Judet back to the room with the hearth. Judet was already pulling Hans up to his feet. He mumbled a couple of unconvincing threats about being woken as Anna took her place at his other side. Together, she and Judet guided him to the bedroom. It was much easier with two people. They were careful not to let his head hit the intricate wood carvings atop of the box-bed as they stuffed him into a sitting position inside.

Judet stepped back, examining the man sitting in her bed like some sort of project near completion. She ducked her head into the box-bed to stuff one tiny, flat pillow behind Hans's neck.

"That should do it," she said. Then she looked to Anna. "I suppose you won't want to sleep in there with him."

"Ah-?! Absolutely not!" Anna yelled, her face melting from anger to embarrassment before she even finished speaking. "Sorry. I mean, yes. Yes, I won't want, don't want. Absolutely not."

"As I thought," Judet said. She didn't seem offended by Anna's outburst. "Come, he'll be fine after he rests. I'll make a place for you to sleep too."

"What about you?" Anna asked, following Judet out of the bedroom. Judet paused near a couple of baskets on the floor just out of the room. She pulled out more brightly colored quilts.

"Me? I don't sleep much. Haven't since my husband…" Judet trailed off. Anna wished she hadn't said anything. She didn't like the grief in Judet's voice. Someone generous like Judet did not deserve to be sad. "Come."

Anna followed her back out to the hearth. Here Judet set the quilts upon the table so she could free her hands to make more space on the floor. Anna moved to help her, but Judet just waved her off.

"There's something," Judet said, placing as much as she could on the mantelpiece. "You should know." The rest she set on the table.

"Huh?"

"You said this…Hans, that he's dangerous," Judet started.

"That's right. He-"

"He is in danger."

Anna's mouth shut. What? _Hans_ was in danger? Hans was the danger!

"I thought you said he'd be fine," Anna said.

Judet shook her head. "His head will be fine."

"Now I'm confused."

"It's his soul," Judet explained. Then she practically whispered, "I saw it in his eye. The battle for his soul has just begun."

Anna did not reply at first. She didn't know what to think. There were no crosses in Judet's cabin to suggest she was religious. Anna herself was raised a Christian, but she did not take the battle between good and evil too literally. It was true that Hans had done some awful things. But he hadn't actually succeeded in killing her or Elsa. So wasn't there still technically a chance for his atonement? But how would Judet know all this? All Anna had said was that Hans was dangerous.

Judet looked at Anna's bewilderment with pity. "I'm sorry. We don't have to discuss this. Just… please think about it," she said, giving Anna's hand a squeeze. She let go and picked the quilts up off the table. When she shook them out, Anna saw that they were not quilts. They were blue gaktis with beautiful patterns in red, yellow, green and white. Judet began layering them on the floor. "I was just at the market, so I don't have many quilts left. I'll see what else I can find, but these will do for now."

Anna stared down at the beautiful dresses. "I couldn't. Are... are you Lappish?"

Judet cringed at the question. "I was from Sapmi, yes. But I married a man from Arendelle." She went to a far corner of the room and pulled out a couple of pillows. "I stopped wearing those dresses when we moved there. But it didn't help win his family's approval. That's why we moved out here." She thrust the pillows into Anna's arms and gestured for Anna to sit on the makeshift bed she'd created.

Anna sat but wanted to kick herself for bringing up a subject that was clearly painful to the old woman.

"I have no regrets, though. We had many happy years together," Judet said, staring into the fire with a smile.

Anna thought back to her own brief engagement. Even though it had obviously been infatuation rather than love, it had been painful when Elsa rejected something that was supposed to make Anna happy. Now of course she understood how crazy it had all been. She had learned her lesson. She would not get engaged in such haste ever again.

"You look troubled," Judet observed. "Shall I tell you a story?"

* * *

_A king had just been married one year when he sailed out to settle some disputes with distant subjects. But a nasty storm set upon the sea and cast his ship to a cluster of rocks. The king was about to perish when a mermaid came to him and swore to rescue him. But she would only help if he promised his firstborn son in return. At first, the king hesitated. But when the storm worsened, he agreed._

_When he came home to his queen, he learned his firstborn had been born. He had a son! But then he remembered the terrible deal he had made with the mermaid. He had to tell his wife. Remorseful though he was, the queen told her love not to worry. She had an idea._

_For sixteen years, they raised their precious son. But on his sixteenth birthday, they made him leave home so that the mermaid could not find him when she came to collect him. And so the prince went out into the world._

_On his first night away from home, the prince met a starved lion. The prince shared his food with the beast. The lion repaid him by giving him the tip of his ear. He told the prince that with this, the prince could transform into a lion. The following day, the prince tried his gift and transformed into a lion. He traveled all day until he grew tired of it and changed back into a man._

_On his second night away from home, the prince met a hungry bear. Again he shared his food with the hungry animal and in return, the bear gave a tip of his ear that would transform the prince into a bear._

_The next day, the prince shared his food with a bumblebee. In return, he was given a hair from its wing that could transform the prince into a bumblebee._

_The prince traveled on. He eventually came to a city where it was said lived a princess who hated all men and refused their company. That night, the prince transformed himself into a bumblebee and flew into the princess's room. He transformed back into a man and frightened the princess. When she screamed, her guards ran in to protect her but the prince had transformed back into a bumblebee, so they left. Once again, the prince transformed back into a man and the princess screamed a second time. But again the guards came, found nothing and left. By now, they decided their princess was crazy and would not come running if she screamed again. So when the prince became a man again, the guards did not come to her aid._

_Now that they were alone, the prince wooed the princess and she fell in love with him. She told him that in three days, her father would go to war and leave his sword behind. Whoever brought the king his sword would gain her hand in matrimony. The prince agreed to do this, but if he were not to return, she should play a violin on the seashore loudly enough to reach the bottom of the sea._

_The prince left with the king for war. When the king discovered he had left his sword behind, he promised his men that he who brought his sword to him could wed the princess and inherit the throne._

_The prince and the king's men all took off to retrieve the sword. The prince frightened the others by transforming into a lion, and so he got ahead of them. When the prince reached the palace, the princess gave him her father's sword and broke her ring into two. She gave him one and kept the other to signify their betrothal. As the prince was leaving the palace, he encountered a Red Knight who tried to take the sword from him. But the Red Knight failed._

_On his way back to the king, the prince stopped to drink from a stream. But there the mermaid saw him and, realizing he was the prince she was promised, she kidnapped him and took him to the bottom of the sea. Shortly afterward, the Red Knight found the sword and brought it to the king._

_The war ended and the king returned to his palace and told the princess that she must marry the Red Knight. During the wedding feast, the princess, remembering what her beloved had said, ran to the sea to play her violin. The mermaid heard her song but the prince claimed not to hear it and asked the mermaid to raise him higher and higher so he could hear. When they reached the surface, the prince transformed himself into a bee and flew to his princess._

_The princess brought the prince to the feast and challenged the Red Knight to transform himself into a lion, a bear and a bee. Of course he could do none of the three. She then asked her prince to do so. He did all three. The princess told her father that it was the prince who retrieved his sword, not the Red Knight. Then she showed her father their matching rings. The king had the Red Knight exiled, and the prince and princess were wed and lived happily ever after._

* * *

Olaf had spent all day playing tag, catch, hide-and-seek and other games with children in the town. He raced up and down the streets with them. He sniffed as many flowers in as many flower gardens as he could. He pointed out shapes in the clouds. But no matter what he did, he couldn't shake away his guilt.

He'd felt guilty to begin with. But what made it worse was when, on his trip back to the castle that afternoon, he overheard two guards talking about the queen's 'meltdown'. At first, Olaf wasn't sure what that meant. But when they described how the castle had gone cold—that ice had formed along the walls, that even Kai and Gerda couldn't calm her down—Olaf had a pretty good idea of what a meltdown was.

At the same time, he'd promised Anna to keep her secret. Anna was as much his friend as Elsa. But Elsa was the _queen_. Elsa had _made_ him. But Anna was a very dear friend. He'd certainly spent more time with her.

"Ohhhh, I don't like this…oh, the confusion! I should have never told those guards that I saw Hans!" he wailed to a pigeon on the street. The pigeon cocked its head and then hobbled away from the disturbed little snowman.

"I can't take this anymore… Anna must be far enough by now. I won't feel better until Elsa feels better," Olaf said. He wasn't quite sure what was happening when a sack was thrown over him. He was suddenly swept off the ground and carried off before he realized it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Judet tells Anna is a Sami fairytale called "The Mermaid and the Boy" translated into English by Andrew Lang in 1904. The Red Knight is actually supposed to be hanged at the end, but I think with Anna trying to sleep, Judet wouldn't tell her that version…
> 
> Thank you for reading! Yes, lots of questions… Hans may have some answers.


	9. The Earnest Snowman

Elsa pretended not to see Kristoff nodding off from the corner of her eye as the servant across the table answered her questions. This was the eighth interview in the council chamber that evening. They hadn't even gotten to the dignitaries yet.

"So you didn't see the princess after the coronation ball?"

Sofia, the girl before her, had been helping out in the kitchens that evening. There was something about her that reminded Elsa of her little sister. It was possibly the two long braids. But Sofia had dark hair and she was terribly unlike Anna in that she was shy.

"I know we weren't supposed to be up out of the kitchens," Sofia said, avoiding eye contact with her queen.

"I'm not concerned with that right now. Please confirm when you last saw my sister," Elsa said. Kristoff snored beside her, but she ignored it.

Sofia nodded, blinking down at her lap. "Well… that would've been when Egil and I were watching the ball from the recess," she started. "It was curtained off... none of the guests saw us, Your Majesty!"

"Go on," Elsa said, giving Kristoff a sharp glance when he let out a louder snore. She nudged his foot under the table.

Kristoff shuddered to alertness. "Huh?! What? Icicles."

Elsa cleared her throat. "Please continue."

"Was I asleep?" Kristoff whispered as Sofia picked up from where she'd left off. Elsa ignored him.

"Gerda caught us and sent us away. That was when Her Highness approached Your Majesty with the handsome prince."

"Handsome villain," Kristoff corrected her. "Villain."

Elsa and Sofia both looked toward Kristoff in surprise now that he was suddenly participating.

"Right… Your Majesty, I never saw the princess again after that. We were hard at work in the kitchens when the… blizzard… hit. Trying to make extra food for those townspeople who needed it," Sofia said.

Elsa was the one to avoid eye contact this time, not wanting Sofia to see her shame.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you. You may go," Elsa said.

Sofia hesitated before she stood and curtsied. Elsa waited for the girl to leave before she sighed and rested her head in her arms on the table.

"Your Majesty?" Kristoff said.

"I should have started with the dignitaries. I was putting them off," Elsa said. She dreaded the questions they would have about her powers. She looked at Kristoff, only now noticing the dark circles under his eyes. "You should rest," she said. She was about to say they could resume interviewing the next morning when a heavy hand knocked upon the door. Elsa had not invited them in, but the door opened anyway. In walked Lord Harald, not exactly someone she wanted to see.

Lord Harald bowed. "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I thought you were finished."

"What is it, Harald?"

Harald did not flinch one bit at Elsa's impatient tone. He even smiled as he helped himself to a seat at the council table. "This matter with the prince and princesses's disappearances," he began, pursing his lips as he paused. "I really hope you've reconsidered your decision about writing to the Southern Isles… especially now that Her Highness is involved."

"It has not crossed my mind since we last discussed it. I'm a little preoccupied right now with my sister missing," Elsa replied. She made a conscious effort not to make the room temperature drop even though Lord Harald was irritating her.

Lord Harald merely answered, "Ah." It seemed he would let the subject drop again for the moment. Suddenly he looked up at her, a real pondering look on his face as he said, "It's so suspicious. You don't think they've eloped, do you?"

Elsa's eyes went wide. She felt, rather than saw, Kristoff jerk forward in his seat. She put an arm out to keep him from leaping across the table.

"How dare you," Elsa said. With great effort, she kept her voice even and cool. "You know what he nearly did."

"Ah, yes… The princess would be most foolish to run away with the man who tried to kill her sister," Lord Harald admitted, frowning.

"Please leave. I've had enough grief for one day," Elsa said.

Lord Harald studied her quietly for a second, ignoring the commoner glaring at him from Elsa's side. He nodded after a while, mumbling an apology and wishing the queen much rest and recuperation.

He turned around to say, "The kingdom trusts you." Then he bowed and let himself out.

Kristoff scoffed. "The nerve of that guy."

"He is right about one thing." Elsa sighed. "I should write to the Southern Isles. Hans could be on his way there now. They won't know to seize him if he arrives."

"What about Anna?"

Elsa observed the tired man next to her. Even though he'd had to fight to stay awake during the last couple of interviews, he still fretted over her sister. It didn't matter that they were strangers; they both cared for Anna. She tried to imagine how Anna had come to meet him. She was sure it would be a great story.

"I'll search for her myself tomorrow."

* * *

Olaf fell on a harsh stone floor when his captor dumped him out of the sack.

"Yow!" Olaf yelped. "That was scary! First it was dark, next it was bumpy. Then the worst part was that body odor…"

"Silence!" a pair of boots shouted at him. But Olaf looked up and saw it was not the boots, but one of Arendelle castle's guards.

"Hello!" Olaf waved upon seeing how grumpy the guard was. "My name is Olaf and I like—"

"I said be quiet!"

Olaf sucked in his breath to keep from finishing his introduction. _My, he's in a bad mood!_

"Wanna hug?" Olaf asked, stretching his arms wide.

"Gak!" The guard ripped a torch from the wall, waving it down to keep the little snowman away from him. "Look, you obviously don't understand the situation. I will spell it out for you. You are a prisoner. You'll answer my question or you'll get this torch."

Olaf squeaked, backing away in alarm as the guard waved the torch a little closer. He loved summer and sunshine, but fire was dangerous!

"Good. So you understand now," the guard said. "Did you or did you not see Prince Hans leave the kingdom?"

"Uh…"

"Well?!" The guard pushed the torch right up to Olaf's face. Olaf shrieked and rolled backward until he hit the wall.

"I didn't see him," Olaf admitted, trembling with something he hadn't felt since watching Anna freeze to near-death: fear.

The guard smirked, setting the torch back in place on the wall. "Good," he said. "That was all I needed to know." He turned away from Olaf, preparing to leave the cell.

"Yeah?!" Olaf said, a new emotion creeping over him. Something about the way the guard had bullied him into breaking part of his promise to Anna…it made him feel strange. "Well, no matter how you threaten me, I will never, _ever_ tell you that Princess Anna left Arendelle to look for Prince Hans! So, _there_!"

When the guard looked over his shoulder, Olaf realized what he had done. He clapped both his little hands over his mouth and shrieked.

"Oops."

* * *

The splash was the only sound as she fell backwards. Water swallowed the summer sky. Soon it was cold all around her. It wasn't the bright cold of snow. It was black cold. She'd never learned how to swim, so she just sank into the deep. She thought about struggling, but her limbs would not respond.

Anna jolted upright, roused by crashing thunder. She was disoriented at first, blinking around the strange room surrounding her. Her eyes came to rest on the old woman in a chair by the fireplace. Then she remembered.

There were other sounds outside: snarling and snapping tree branches. Footsteps shook the ground, making everything in the cabin tremble. Anna choked back her panic.

"The Stallos are out. They're looking for Arendelle dwellers," Judet told her.

Anna clutched one of the a gaktis; it was more to still her trembling than for anything else. She said, "But Hans said the giant wouldn't come this far… there are more of them?"

One of them—'Stallos', Judet called them—roared outside.

"They're weaker during the day. They won't challenge the king's law. But at night, the forest is theirs… they won't bother us in here, so don't fear. They have no quarrel with outcasts. It's Arendelle they hate."

"But why?" Anna asked. How could Judet be so calm when there were monsters lurking around her home? Then Anna dropped the gakti she'd been clinging to, confusion settling in. "Wait… did you just say the king's law?"


	10. A Sister's Fret

Sunlight glimmered off of ripples in the fjord. Elsa shielded her blue eyes with one hand as she looked out toward faraway peaks. Her own kingdom was still nestled under morning shadow. She had left the castle with an entourage of several protective guards. Once she neared the east gate, she had dismissed the rest of her party. Kristoff had proved most obstinate.

"What makes you think I could just sit here while you're out looking for An…Princess Anna?" he'd asked. He had even geared up Sven for the journey. Elsa wasn't sure how much of the conversation the reindeer actually understood, but he looked equally affronted.

"You'll just slow me down."

Elsa regretted saying it. Kristoff had looked so hurt. So she quickly continued, "Besides… someone should stay here in case Anna comes home."

He had definitely wanted to argue with that, but Kai had interrupted. The guard was ready to escort her out of the castle. Kai was to see the Duke of Weselton escorted down to the port. There a ship would take him out of Arendelle; he was no longer welcome. Afterwards, Kai would take up the task of interviewing the remaining dignitaries. Kristoff would have to find his own way to make staying at the castle more bearable.

In fact, Elsa didn't quite understand why the ice harvester was so eager to leave.

Elsa inhaled the warm summer air and dispelled all thoughts of the strange blond man. She would need to concentrate for what she was about to do.

So much of her power had been used out of fear up to this point. She thought of her intentional creations with a smile. She needed something alive like Marshmallow, but not so aggressive. She did not want to give the Arendelle people a new reason to fear her. At the same time, Olaf was too warm and cuddly to provide the kind of assistance she needed right now.

 _I know,_ she thought, sweeping her arms up over her head. She embraced a memory from her childhood with Anna. It was from before all traces of Elsa's power had been wiped from Anna's memory. They used to ice skate in the Great Hall. They'd build Olaf and dance with him while Elsa summoned gentle flurries from the ceiling. After a few inches of snow had settled, they would plop down on their backs, kicking and waving to make snow angels.

Warmth enveloped Elsa's heart as she relived the memories. She turned all around her, waving her hands, drawing her magic out. Tendrils of snowflakes whirled around her, forming a dozen clouds of flurries. Little by little, the snowflakes formed silhouettes of snow angels. Each one had a little 'halo' which worked like Olaf's personal flurry to ensure the snow angels wouldn't melt in the summer heat.

"I'm looking for Princess Anna," she said to them. She knew she didn't actually have to say anything. The snow angels were a part of her, just like her powers. They would obey her innermost thought.

All but one of the twelve snow angels drifted away from her, taking flight in various directions to start their search. The one that lingered offered Elsa its hand.

Elsa smiled and accepted, letting out a startled, "Whoa!" as the snow angel launched toward the east gate. She dangled fearfully as the snow angel flew head on. The gate was closed this early in the morning. Elsa wanted to close her eyes or jump free, not entirely certain that the angel understood Elsa was a solid being. But then the snow angel lifted her higher, carrying them both over the gate and the wall, soaring over the forest tree tops.

It wasn't so bad as long as Elsa didn't over-think how high in the air she was. She even enjoyed it. Wind whipped her braid behind her and cooled her flushed cheeks. When she looked down at the ground below, she could see a rabbit hopping through the trees. The angel turned northwest, leaving the road and flying over wilderness. A falcon flew under them, stalking prey too small for her eyes. But there was no sight of Anna.

"Go back to the road," Elsa commanded. The snow angel gently corrected its path, heading back to the road from Arendelle. It would be easy to spot Anna if she was on the road. Elsa knew it was wishful thinking, but she couldn't help it.

They traveled north, following the road below. There was no sign of Anna, but a building along the side of the road came into view after a few miles. It was a little log cabin. If Elsa was right, it would be the trading post.

The snow angel was careful in its descent. When it had brought Elsa near enough to the ground, it waited for her to balance herself before it released her hand. Elsa's hand tingled when the being let go. The summer air instantly took the place of the comforting chill. She knew the snow angel would wait for her, so she approached the cabin. A sign hung over the porch. She read, "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post," aloud and let herself in.

Elsa paused in the doorway, pleasantly overwhelmed by the fragrance of cedar. When she stepped fully inside, she saw a bookcase along one wall. It had more than just books; it was stocked with jars, baskets and canisters. Men's summer shirts hung from several hangers beneath single wall shelves. A shelf table took up the very center of the shop. This was reserved for folded linens, bread, fruit, cheeses, meat and medicines. Elsa was admiring a vase of wild flowers when the shop owner greeted her.

"Yoohoo! Eek!" Oaken's jaw dropped when the queen turned to face him. He instantly recognized the platinum hair and the enchanting dress from the stories. He himself had never seen the queen up close before. "Your-your-your Majesty! What a surprise!" Oaken bowed, hitting his forehead on his countertop. "Yowch." His hat fell off.

Elsa stared at the odd shop owner, wincing when his head hit the counter in his effort to be proper. "Hello," she greeted him. "Are you all right?"

Oaken let out a hearty chuckle as he rubbed the growing red spot on his forehead. He put his hat back in place and assured the queen he would be fine. "It's just I've never seen you before!" he explained.

"Yes," she said. "I haven't spent a great deal of time outside of Arendelle, or even the castle."

"Well, you're most welcome here, Your Majesty! Um…" Oaken hesitated, gandering about the shop for something that might entice a royal. At a loss, he twiddled with his red mustache. Beaver skins seemed unlikely. She could buy all the fine clothing she wanted right from the shops in town. Surely the food in the castle was superior fare than what he had here. "May I ask what you're looking for?"

"Actually, I'm looking for my sister. Princess Anna? She may have come this way before. She has strawberry-blonde hair, freckles…she's kind of a chatterbox?"

Oaken thought for a moment. "Yes… yes, that must have been her. She stopped here during the blizzard. She left with the abominable blond man."

 _Kristoff_! Elsa thought. Her eyes lit up with the first hope she'd felt in days

"Did you see her after the blizzard?" Elsa asked.

"Yes. She stopped here again yesterday, looking for a map," Oaken answered. "I gave her one since people were saying she was responsible for thawing the kingdom. Err… and you too, of course."

"Was there another man with her this time?" Elsa asked. That part was especially important. She steeled herself for the worst.

"No," Oaken said. "She traveled alone."

Elsa exhaled the breath she'd been holding in.

"Do you know where she was headed?" she asked.

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty… I didn't ask," Oaken answered.

Elsa looked all around her for a second, comforted at least that Anna had been there not that long ago. She thanked Oaken for the information and exited the trading post. The snow angel stood waiting at the bottom of the steps.

"She's not here," Elsa said. She thought she heard a cross between an, "Aww" and a sigh. She hadn't given the snow angels voices so she was sure she imagined it. "Why would Anna just leave on her own?" she asked. Now that she knew Hans wasn't with Anna, she struggled to understand why Anna had gone without a word. Where would she go from Oaken's?

Elsa felt safe assuming that Anna was out looking for Hans. She herself had blamed Anna for the prince's disappearance.

"This is all my fault…" she said, staring wistfully into the forest. But she only allowed herself that brief moment of self-pity before she snapped out of it. She still had to find Anna!

Elsa thought back to the events over the last few days. If Anna was looking for Hans, then the next best question to ask was where could Hans be? If he _had_ somehow escaped, where would he flee? She had informed the remaining dignitaries of Hans's deceit. If Hans really was a mastermind, he couldn't be stupid enough to hide in Arendelle. Could he? The only place outside of the kingdom that he could know of would be the North Mountain. The North Mountain was cold and snow ridden even in summer. But in summer, wet and loose snow could cause avalanches. No sane person would venture up to the North Mountain, whatever the season.

Images suddenly flashed through her head: Anna trekking through that treacherous terrain. Hans sneaking up behind her, cornering her onto the edge of a cliff.

"Take me north," Elsa instructed her snow angel, taking its arm.

They flew over treetops at wind speed. Elsa closed her eyes and focused on the breeze in her face. Otherwise, anxiety threatened to make her ill.

The snow angel gave Elsa's arm a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

Elsa knew they were close when the breeze turned into a howling gust. She opened her eyes when the snow angel let go. Her toes met cold, soft ground. Before her, still standing, was her beautiful ice palace. She brightened a bit. She had not thought she would see it again so soon. Though she was glad to have the opportunity to make things right with her sister and the rest of the kingdom, Elsa would never forget the freedom and calm she felt during her self-imposed exile.

As she started to approach the palace, a pile of snow on the side rumbled and stood up off from the ground.

"Marshmallow!" Elsa exclaimed, running toward the grumpy snow giant. Marshmallow knelt in the snow, gently wrapping his queen in a frosty hug as she nuzzled his round belly.

"Has anyone come to the palace?" Elsa asked, looking up at him.

"No one. I've been guarding it," the snow giant answered.

"Thank you," she beamed. She walked around him to cast replacement ice stairs leading up to the palace. The originals must have broken off when Hans and the royal guards attacked. Echoes from that day haunted her.

_Don't be the monster they fear you are._

But Hans had turned out to be the monster. Elsa clenched her fists as she walked up the steps. She recalled her sister's lovestruck eyes back during the coronation ball. How naïve Anna could be…

The palace doors opened with a wave of her hand. Elsa stepped into her palace and felt a wave of tranquility. She turned in slow circles, using her magic to repair all the damage she could find. As far as she was concerned, this place was still another home. She'd be damned before she'd let it fall to ruin.

Neither Anna nor Hans were to be found. Where could she look next? If Anna wasn't in Arendelle, and she hadn't come here, where was she?

Elsa slumped to the floor. She could not give up. Anna had never given up on her. Elsa wanted from the bottom of her heart to trust Anna the way that Anna trusted her. But if that meant sitting back on the throne in Arendelle and waiting for Anna to come home, there was no way she could do it. She was the older sister. She was meant to protect Anna.

Outside, Marshmallow roared. Elsa heard sudden yelling. She jumped up and rushed out of the palace doors, running down the steps so quickly that any other person would have slipped and fallen. She got to the scene just in time.

"Marshmallow, stop!" she yelled.

Marshmallow's massive fist halted inches from Kristoff's face. The ice harvester was sitting atop Sven the reindeer, both of them with their eyes clamped shut, clearly braced for impact. When the punch didn't come, Kristoff popped one eye open.

"Saved by the queen!" Kristoff said, throwing his arms up in celebration. Sven tried to prod him with his antlers to warn him. Elsa was walking toward them, one deliberate step at a time; her face was dark.

"I thought I told you to stay home," Elsa snapped.

Kristoff hopped off of Sven and stood his ground. Elsa was a little surprised that he didn't flinch away from her when she stopped in front of him.

"Technically, Arendelle is not my home," Kristoff answered. He shrugged. "Anyway, I told you I couldn't do it. Not while Anna might be in trouble."

"Princess," Elsa said. When Kristoff looked at her in utter confusion, she elaborated. "Princess Anna."

"My apologies." He bowed. "Princess Anna."

Elsa scowled and turned away from him, looking back toward her palace. She wasn't any closer to deciding where to search next.

"How did you know I'd be here?" she asked without looking at him.

"I didn't." That made Elsa raise her eyebrow. "I saw you…f-flying," Kristoff explained. "W-we f-f-followed until you w-went out of, of s-s-sight. Then I rrrrememb-b-bered your ice p-palace here at the N-North M-m-mountain."

Elsa gaped at him for the strange speech. Then she looked at his shirt and vest, realizing that he was not exactly dressed for snow.

"You don't strike me as the type who would travel unprepared to an icy mountain," she said, her brows furrowed.

"I w-was… think-k-king of… An…P-p-princess—"

"Never mind. We need to get you out of here," Elsa said quickly. "Sven. If I fly, can you follow?"

When Sven nodded, Elsa hoped he'd actually understood her. But there was little time to worry. She put aside her thoughts on etiquette and propriety as she wrapped Kristoff into her arms and called to her snow angel to lift them.

"Wait, w-what?" Kristoff shivered, distracted by confusion. Without warning, he felt his feet lift off the ground. In seconds, he was several feet in the air. "Your Majesty… what's happening?!" He noticed now that he was barely cold. Elsa's embrace had poured warmth into him. He wondered if that had been the work of her magic too. The flying most definitely was. "Where are we going?"

He looked down only to make sure that Sven could see them. Indeed, the reindeer was pacing back and forth as they drifted higher. Sven obviously didn't know what to make of it all.

"I thought Anna might go to my ice palace if she thought Hans was hiding there," Elsa answered. "But I was wrong." She frowned, her face inches from his.

Kristoff looked up and away from her forlorn eyes. They were too blue, he decided. Eyes bluer than Anna's. Thankfully, a sudden thought distracted him.

"I know someone who might be able to help," he said, though there was definitely hesitation in his voice. He checked the ground, relieved when he could see Sven running to follow them. _Good boy_ , he thought.

"Who?"

Kristoff looked like he wanted to kick himself.

"Kristoff, who?" Elsa asked again.

"Look, they're not your regular group of…um, group. They profess themselves to be experts on everything. They're also really nosy—"

"Would you just tell me _who_?" she asked, growing annoyed.

Kristoff took a deep breath, held it in to make his cheeks puff out. Then he sighed it all out, looking everywhere but at the queen.

At last, he said, "My family."

"What?"

"My adoptive family," he added. "They have magic… because they're… well, they're kind of…trolls."

Trolls! Elsa stared, wide-eyed. How could she have forgotten the very creatures who helped her sister long ago? The ones who had warned her about controlling her powers…

"That's a great idea!" Elsa exclaimed, startling Kristoff. "Where can we find them?!"

Kristoff looked a little skeptical about her reaction, but he looked down around the forest below them. "There. That valley. That should be their home," he pointed.

Elsa's eyes followed. Miles to the east, she could see a hollow spot in the vast stretch of trees. If she looked carefully, even the trees surrounding the area looked more like tall rock.

"It's called the Valley of Living Rock," he told her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it really difficult to write Elsa, so chapters with her POV tend to take me longer to write... I usually play music when writing. I have plenty of songs that feel very appropriate for scenes with Hans, Anna and/or Kristoff. When it comes to Elsa, it's harder (outside of the Frozen soundtrack, I mean).
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	11. The Trolls' Pledge

The next morning, Judet sliced the moldy end off a loaf of bread before she added it to a basket for Anna. Anna wrinkled her nose at first. But it occurred to her that the bread might be Judet's last until Judet went to Arendelle's market again.

"It's only a few hours to Arendelle," Judet said. "This is just in case you get hungry along the way."

"Thank you," Anna said. Standing next to the fire, she was starting to sweat in the boots and large coat Judet had put on her.

Hans cleared his throat from the cottage door. "We should get going," he said. Then he held up his tied wrists, his face souring. "Is this necessary? I could have killed you yesterday if I wanted to."

"Quiet, you!" Anna snapped. She looked at him in warning and then turned toward Judet to accept the basket. "Which way leads to Arendelle?"

Judet smiled. "In back of this cottage, there's a trail to the forest… follow that for a mile. It will take you back to the main road. Once you come upon the road, turn right. Then just keep walking until you see the castle."

"That sounds easy enough." Anna looked over her shoulder. Hans was resting his forehead on the wall next to the front door. Judet had said his wound was not serious. He'd just have a headache for the next few days…and a bump on the back of his head.

It was still a possibility that the head trauma was worse than it looked. But Judet did not seem to think it likely. Anna would only know if Hans suddenly became confused, nauseous or dropped dead, she had said.

"Think about what I told you," Judet whispered, drawing Anna's attention away from the prince. "You may be the only one who can help him."

Anna frowned. Help Hans? She was supposed to be escorting him to Arendelle's custody, not helping him.

Judet actually looked frightened by what she was trying to tell Anna.

"I'll do what I can. But Hans committed several grievous crimes. My main concern is getting him back to my sister—the queen."

Judet's forehead scrunched up at the mention of Elsa. She raised one eyebrow, then looked away as though trying to recall something.

"I didn't know the queen had a sister," she said. "The king has two, I know. But they've been living married in other kingdoms for some time now."

Anna's grip on the basket tightened as she watched Judet fidget in confusion. _Her mind must not be what it was. She's old_ , Anna thought. _And she lives all alone…_

No, she would not say anything that might confuse Judet further. "Thanks for everything," Anna said with a smile.

Judet put a hand on Anna's shoulder as she walked her to the door. "Good luck to you both. I am glad you found your way here last night. Avoid the forests at night next time," she advised. She gave a slight bow as if in afterthought.

Anna hid her uneasy expression from Judet as she unraveled the 'lead rope' from around one of the table legs. She wrapped the extra rope around her hand and gave a test pull. When Hans's wrists moved, he rolled his eyes.

* * *

Anna ordered Hans to walk ahead of her since she couldn't trust him at her back. Hans had smirked but complied. As he passed her, he said, "Oh, Anna. That hurts." The smile in his voice was sharp and clear.

 _Ignore him_.

It was hard to pay attention to much else in a silent forest. No birds chirped above. No creatures skittered away from her. There was only the soft crunch of snow under their boots.

As she walked, Anna watched the back of Hans's head. There was no trace of blood in his hair, or else it blended in too well with the auburn.

How many more times would she have to worry about the man who had scorned her so horribly?

"Why?" she asked. The question came out on impulse. She halted, biting her lip. There was no point in asking, of course. She knew why. The reason would be any one of the things that drive a human to do something terrible: fear, power, madness or all of the above.

Hans's end of the rope jerked back, forcing him to stop.

"Why what?" he asked.

Anger jolted through Anna. He had to know. He must know the questions burning inside her. Why did he do it? Did he plan it all along? Did he have no conscience whatsoever?

A distant sound in the background reached her ears. Anna tried to strain her ears to listen. It sounded like…

"Is that a waterfall?" she asked. "Did we go the wrong way?" She turned about circles and tried to discern which direction the sound came from, unmindful of how her movement drew Hans around by the rope.

"Anna, cut the rope."

She ignored him and bolted off of the trail, following the noise. Hans yelled after her with no choice but to follow.

Anna dashed through the trees, squinting at what looked like a field ahead. When she broke through the tree line, she nearly tripped over several tree stumps before she came to a full stop. She realized immediately that it was much larger than a normal clearing. All around her were acres cleared of trees, ghostly stumps the only remains.

"What is this place?" she asked, oblivious to Hans cursing behind her.

"A little warning next time?" he said.

"Shh." Anna spotted a structure at the far left edge of the land. "I think the water's that way."

Hans groaned as Anna led the way. They stuck to the trees as they approached. The building appeared to be built on a slope in the land. The slope descended into the southern tree line. The rushing water was much louder now. Anna finally understood when she saw the tunnel attached to the building and the dam built onto the creek beyond.

"A sawmill? But I thought those shut down once the ice trade took off… That was years ago," she murmured, staring.

"Would you kindly free my hands?" Hans hissed. Anna raised her eyebrow at the urgency in his tone, but then she saw two mill men approaching them. One raised his hand to wave.

 _How do they keep the water from freezing?_ Anna wondered. Judet's coat had done such a fine job of keeping her warm that she'd almost forgotten about the snow all around her.

"Hans! You're back!" one of the men said, now only feet away. He looked the younger of the two workers, possibly a decade older than Anna. He wore a white knit cap that clashed with his black beard. The other man's head was uncovered, but he wore a thick coat.

Anne raised one eyebrow and turned toward Hans. "They know you?"

The mill men looked questioningly at the rope around Hans's wrists. Hans chuckled charmingly before either of the men could ask. Anna looked from the men to Hans, then back at the men again. His laughter disturbed her.

"This little lady," Hans said, indicating Anna with a tilt of his head. "is my lovely wife. As you can see, she's furious that I set out by myself." He held up his bound wrists and flashed a knowing smile, as if to say, ' _Women._ '

Anna's face flushed with rage. She was about to cut in when the men buckled up with laughter.

"Doesn't she know her husband's a hero? Funny little wife," the hatless man said.

Anna swallowed her bewilderment. Keeping her face as blank as possible, Anna said, "Which way is Arendelle?"

The men settled down when they saw that Anna was shaking. They exchanged nervous glances with one another before giving Hans sympathetic eyes. They assumed he was in for an earful. They had no idea it was their princess standing in front of them.

The older man pointed to the far side of the cleared land behind them. "The road's that way. You can't miss it."

"Thank you."

She whirled around and stomped off in the indicated direction, dragging Hans behind her. When they were well out of earshot, she stopped and spun toward him.

"Explain. Now."

* * *

"Am I doing it right? I'm not, am I?" Rocky asked.

Bulda looked away from her own glowing fire crystal. The training cave was full of students talking among themselves; their crystals all shined various intensities of red. But poor Rocky couldn't even get his fire crystal to flicker.

"That's all right," Bulda assured him. "Everyone learns at a different pace. Actually, Grand Pabbie says that those who take longest to master Illumination often have the brightest crystals."

"Really?" Rocky's eyes grew with excitement. Bulda nodded, rubbing her arms. The training cave was unusually chilly for so many active fire crystals in one place.

"Haha, look! Rocky's crystal's dull!" one of the other students shouted. A few of the other young trolls looked toward Rocky and sniggered.

Bulda looked at the rest of the class, growing stern. "Enough! Recite the pledge."

They all stood up in unison and recited:

"I solemnly swear to be honorable,  
To use my crystals for the good of  
The forest, my family and the crown.  
I shall not mock, ignore or take advantage  
Of the misfortunes of others.  
I shall not act out in anger, fear or stress.  
Rather, I shall help those in need  
And act with patience, courage and peace.  
Only thus will I earn the title 'Troll'."

When they were finished, the students took their seats and stared at their instructor, waiting.

"Very good. But remember, it's not enough just to recite it. You have to live by this code. Our ancestors passed it down to us for good reason," Bulda said. By the time she was finished, most of the students had resumed talking to their respective cliques.

Bulda sighed. They were still young; they would understand eventually.

Gasps suddenly erupted from the back of the cave. Someone yelled, "The floor!"

Bulda glanced down. The floor was icing over. "What the…? Up on your seats, everyone!" She was thankful to see all of them obey her instructions. "Stay put! Do not leave this cave until an adult comes back to get you!"

Bulda lit her air crystal to hover and then glide down the aisle and out of the cave. The ice was outside too, but already the blue dome of a protective barrier was up around the valley. She saw Grand Pabbie and Cliff at the head of a group working to hold the barrier. She rushed to join them.

"What is it?!" Bulda asked. Everyone's eyes were on the dark forest just outside of the valley.

"Grand Pabbie sensed it earlier… something hostile is coming," Cliff whispered.

Without warning, an ice lance struck. The barrier cracked, but stayed standing. The trolls huddled tightly together, watching the ice lance fall to the ground on the other side of the barrier. They all held their breaths.

A second lance shot out from the forest, striking a higher part of the barrier.

"Together! Hold the barrier!" Pabbie commanded. Each troll held out their master crystal, focusing on keeping the barrier intact. But then several ice lances flew out together. One pierced through a high spot on the barrier. The intrusion broke most of the trolls' concentration. The momentary lapse caused the barrier to fizzle and fade.

"Ready your crystals!" Pabbie shouted.

Bulda braced herself, cradling her air crystal and ready to summon an offensive gust if need be. She hesitated when a woman stepped out from the trees; hair white as snow, eyes and lips blue as ice. Bulda felt her comrades tremble at the sight of her.

"What do you want?!" Pabbie demanded, holding his arms out like a shield over his people.

"You have something of mine," the woman answered.

Bulda shuddered as something crawled over her toes and up toward her ankles. She looked down and saw it: ice.


	12. The Snow Angels

Night had come and gone from the dungeon windows. After the guard left, Olaf had plopped down on the floor of one corner. He had not moved from the spot since, lost in a daze of guilt and confusion. Why had the guard just tossed him in here instead of turning him in to the queen? He wondered if Elsa would hate him once the guard informed him of his and Anna's secret. Worse was the thought that both Anna and Elsa would be disappointed in him.

He worried about the princess though. Had she been caught yet?

"I hope Anna doesn't get into too much trouble."

He sighed. What was he doing?! Olaf hopped up on his little snowball feet and scampered over to the cell door.

"Hello?" he called out.

Olaf counted to ten. Still there was no answer. "That's weird." He was no expert on dungeons or anything, but he thought there would be at least one guard on duty.

"Is anybody else down here?!" he yelled. The door was solid, but there was a little window high above with bars in it. Olaf of course couldn't climb up to see through it, but his voice would hopefully reach anyone in the other cells.

Again, there was no answer. But he heard a _rap, tap, tap_ behind him. Olaf turned around. No one was in the cell with him.

 _Tap, tap._ Again, he heard it. "Hello?!" he whispered. He had the hopeful idea that one of the stones in the wall would wiggle out of place and Sven or Kristoff's face would appear, beckoning him to escape. Instead, the tapping came from the window.

Olaf made a cautious approach, his mouth wide open. He knew from an earlier glance that there wasn't much outside that window; there was only the deadly drop into the craggy rocks around the base of the castle. Well, there was the fjord too. Whatever else there was, he had not expected to see a willowy, white dress outside the glass. Olaf shrieked, leaping away from the window.

More alarming was when a snowy fist punched the glass in. Olaf yelped, backing up against the cell door. "Someone get me out of here!" he yelled, knocking on the door. He watched in terror as two snowy hands gripped the metal grille and pushed the entire thing out of the window frame. It dropped it into the cell with a clatter and smash of breaking glass.

Olaf watched in a trance; his mouth was stuck open but the scream would not come out. His hand scratched and tugged at the door handle even though he knew it would be locked. A faceless angel crawled in through the broken window, blowing a gust of cool air to move the broken bits of glass to a dark corner of the cell. The angel spread her wings and righted her crooked halo. She turned toward the screaming Olaf, put her hand up and gave a little wave.

"Oh! Oh, hello! Hi!" Olaf smiled. As a general rule, people don't wave if they're unfriendly. "My name's Olaf… and I like warm hugs!" He left the cell door to walk up to her. Though the lack of a face was still unsettling, the snow angel felt familiar.

"Are you… are you my sister?" he asked. He considered any of Elsa's creations as siblings. When the snow angel nodded, Olaf jumped up in the air and clapped. "Oh! Great! What's your name?"

The angel just looked down at him. At least, he thought she was looking at him. It was hard to tell.

When she shook her head, Olaf thought he sensed a little sadness. "That's okay!" he said. "I'll call you Gyda, if that's all right?"

The snow angel nodded, clapping her hands together. Little snowflakes bounced off her hands when she did it. Olaf smiled, glad to see she was pleased with the name.

"I'm happy to meet you, Gyda. But I'm not sure you should be here…" he said, looking back at the door to make sure no guard was peeping in through the barred window. "I'm in trouble for doing something wrong. One of the Queen Elsa's guards threw me in here."

The snow angel put her hands up in protest while shaking her head.

"Yes. You see, I sort of…lied about something important, so the queen will be very upset with me. I need to stay here for a while… as punishment. At least, I think that's how it works," Olaf explained. But still Gyda shook her head even more insistently than before."What's the matter?"

_Things would be a whole lot easier if she had a voice or a face, at the very least._

Gyda bent down and took Olaf by the hand. She started walking him to the window she had broken in through.

"Uh, Gyda?"

Next, she poked her head out of the window and looked up. Olaf had no idea what she was checking for. When Gyda seemed satisfied, she pulled her head back into the cell. Then she squatted down and held her arms out to Olaf.

Olaf knew an invitation for a hug when he saw one; he automatically frolicked into Gyda's arms, closed his eyes and gave her a hug. His eyes shot open when she stood and lifted him.

"Whoa!"

Gyda walked him back to the window, stepping up onto the ledge.

"Gyda?"

Then she stepped off.

"Oh my-ah-ahhh!" Olaf shrieked, wriggling in his sister's arms for a few seconds until he realized they were not falling. "Oh."

Gyda shook as she took Olaf higher. Olaf realized she was laughing. Soon, he was laughing too. She flew him all the way up the wall of the castle, careful to avoid windows.

"I don't want to get into more trouble," Olaf said, suddenly worried. But Gyda shook her head again, floating up to a windowed gable. Here she did not break the glass, but simply opened the window. She carried Olaf inside and set him gently on the low seat built into the window.

Olaf looked around. A bed stood out from the right wall, a stove in one corner and two chairs on either side of the window. He was in someone's bedroom.

"Why did you bring me here?" Olaf asked. Gyda looked from him and then looked down in thought. She closed the window next to them suddenly and breathed all across it. Then she took one finger and began writing a message.

"Elsa…never punish…you," Olaf read aloud. "Something…wrong…in castle. Huh?"

The warmth in the room started to defog Gyda's breath, so she blew once again upon the glass. Olaf read the final part of her message.

_Stay. Wait for Elsa._

* * *

As soon as they entered the valley, Kristoff knew something was wrong. His family was usually alerted when visitors approached their home; that included him. They would usually blend in with the environment until they either recognized the visitor or were sure there was no threat.

When Kristoff and Elsa walked into the Valley of Living Rock that afternoon, there was a crowd of trolls surrounding Grand Pabbie at the mouth of one of the caves. The valley was full of voices urgent with worry. Grand Pabbie was visibly under a lot of strain trying to put everyone at ease.

"What happened?" Kristoff called out. The crowd turned in unison to face the visitors. A great majority of them instantly gasped and shrunk away as Kristoff walked forward with Elsa in tow.

"She's back!" someone cried.

"Leave us alone!" a couple shouted.

"Yeah!"

Kristoff looked back at Elsa. She frowned and wrung her hands in front of her, looking as shocked as he was. Why were the trolls afraid of her?

"Silence!" Grand Pabbie said, his voice raised above all the rest. "This is not the same woman who attacked us." As he spoke, he stared at Elsa with narrowed eyes. Then he nodded firmly at the crowd around him. "This is the queen of Arendelle. Remember your pledge!"

Kristoff watched Elsa relax. But she still looked unsure of herself. Suddenly Pabbie's words hit him.

"Wait… did you say you were attacked?!" Kristoff asked.

Grand Pabbie nodded grimly. Then, he told Kristoff how it happened.

"We noticed frost on the ground first. That quickly turned to ice… The eldest of us have the ability to tell friendly magic from—well, unfriendly magic. The source of the ice was one of the most hostile works of magic I had ever seen. I quickly called all the adults to defense. We got a barrier up just before _she_ appeared.

But it wasn't enough. She pierced the barrier with ice lances. Her magic… it is not unlike the queen's. Yet it is older. It's deadlier."

"But she didn't kill you," Elsa interrupted, biting her lip. Could it be that Elsa was not the only human with inexplicable magical powers? Could the woman be related to her somehow?

"No. I believe if we had gotten more in the way, she would have. But she didn't need to," Grand Pabbie answered. "First she froze our feet to the ground so we could not stop her. When those of us with fire crystals quickly melted the ice, she summoned maidens of ice to battle with us. By the time we got through them, it was too late." Grand Pabbie paused, trembling at the memory. "She walked out of the treasure caves. She had claimed what she'd come for, and then she vanished back into the forest. The remaining ice maidens left with her."

Kristoff looked around, seeming to check the faces of all the trolls around them. "Everyone's all right?"

"We're all very shaken, but yes. Everyone is fine," Cliff answered.

"I'm so sorry," Elsa whispered. Then, steadying her voice, she said, "Long ago, you helped me and my sister… I will do what I can to help protect your lands. But what was it the Ice Maiden wanted?"

Grand Pabbie's brow furrowed as he answered. "We mostly keep ancient histories of our people and other magic in the treasury caves. There are also some crystals and jewelry. I can't imagine she was after any of that." Frowning, he added, "No, she must have been after the mirror."

"She attacked you for a _mirror_?" Kristoff asked. He sounded partly flabbergasted but mostly angry. Elsa nodded beside him as he asked his next question. "What's so special about this mirror?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things. Gyda is pronounced 'Gee-da'...that's 'gee' like in geese and 'da' like the end of Gerda.
> 
> So, yes... not exactly THE Snow Queen, but another of HCA's cold-hearted women: the Ice Maiden. I wanted to leave Elsa as the only Snow Queen. The Ice Maiden is similar, but unique too as you'll eventually see. Thanks for reading!


	13. A Truth Mirror

"If I try to explain," Hans said. "You'll just think I'm crazy."

 _I love crazy,_ he'd said before. Anna shook the memory out of her head. The coronation ball already felt like so long ago. Whatever was happening now, she couldn't let her guard down around him.

Anna glared at him. "I don't care. When I left the trolls—"

"Trolls?!"

"—it was summer," she finished, ignoring the interruption. She gestured at the leafless trees and snow all around them. "Now it's winter? And there are… giants in the forest." She started walking again, finding that the movement made the things she spoke of easier to process. When Hans walked along with her, she purposely delayed some of her steps to keep from getting too far ahead of him. She still did not want her back to him.

Anna wasn't sure that Hans was even listening. What did he care? All of the confusion meant his possible escape from a proper sentence.

"The saw mill is running. No one seems to recognize me as the princess. No one recognizes you either," she continued. She kept Hans in the corner of her eye, watching for any sudden or treacherous motion.

But he ignored her. In fact, Hans gave no indication that he'd heard anything she said. He just trudged on without a word, watching the path ahead with the occasional irritated glance at his bound wrists. When they reached the main road, they turned right per the mill men's instructions. Anna had just about had it with the silence when Hans startled her with a question.

"How did you find me?"

"I didn't! At first," she explained. "I had to sneak out. Elsa has the castle on lockdown because of you." She shot him an angry look as she recalled Elsa's panic when Hans had first vanished.

"Because of me? I'm only one person."

"You tried to _kill_ us," Anna snapped.

He had the audacity to shrug. He looked like he was going to make some stupid remark, so Anna quickly resumed her story.

"You weren't in the fjord or the village. We thought…maybe you'd drowned," she said, keeping her voice as even as possible. "Then I thought of someone who could help; the ones who knew what could be done when Elsa…when she accidentally froze my heart."

"Accidentally." Hans scoffed.

Anna wheeled on him, threatening him with her fist. "Seriously? I know you must be too _twisted_ to see it, but what you did back in Arendelle was wrong. You're going to answer for it."

Hans didn't even flinch. He blinked once and then lifted his head, smiling at a starting flurry. Anna shivered in the brief, cold breeze.

"There's no one else here, Anna. If you hit me again, you'll be the one with something to answer for," he said.

She believed that.

Without looking at her, he started leading the way. Anna waited to follow until his distance tugged on her end of the rope. She frowned, feeling for her satchel as she thought of her knife.

They walked without speaking. Anna noticed that the farther they traveled, the more the forest came to life. She could hear birds now; she even saw some flitting from tree to tree. A speck of orange in the trees on the left may have even been a fox. Eventually, a dip in the road ahead caught her attention. She broke into a run, knocking Hans out of her way to get ahead of him.

"The fjord!" she cried out. Her face lit up in excitement. She urged him to hurry, hauling him behind her as she ran downhill. But when she broke through the tree line, she stopped short.

"That's not…" she trailed off. What she saw at the bottom of the mountains was hardly the Arendelle she knew. The grassy slopes lacked familiar houses. The only homes here were scattered close to port. The castle, too, was much smaller. Half of it was covered in scaffolding. "Where are we?"

Hans stepped up next to her, taking in the view for himself. "We're in Arendelle… almost a century ago."

With everything else that had happened to her that week, Anna wasn't sure why _that_ was the last straw. But as soon as her brain registered what Hans had said, she blacked out.

* * *

Iduna nestled in close with her husband below deck. The ship creaked and groaned as the sea raged all around them. The thunder above was deafening. The storm had come out of nowhere, they were told. For their own safety, they should stay below until the waters calmed. It had already been hours. They were thrown from one wall to the other as waves knocked the ship to and fro. She looked up with frightened eyes to find her husband praying. She thought of her two girls back at home and how she might never hold them again.

Agnarr held her tightly, trying to shield her even as the seawater exploded through the wall behind them.

Anna lurched out of the nightmare, gasping for air. It still felt like she was aboard a rattling ship. Then she looked down at the back of Hans's neck. He was still wearing the winter cloak he'd borrowed from Arendelle castle. She shrieked and kicked once she realized he was carrying her into town on his back.

"No!" she growled, kicking and leaping off for dear life.

"Ow! What was I supposed to do?" Hans said, rubbing his hip.

One minute he was threatening her; the next, he was carrying her. She glared daggers at him when she noticed his hands were free and the rope was missing.

"You, you, you said this is Arendelle!" Anna snapped. Hans nodded, looking behind her. "But you said it was almost a century ago!"

"Keep your voice down," Hans whispered. "People are staring."

Anna looked around and saw a few townsfolk had stopped in their tracks to look at them. She looked away from them, hiding her pink cheeks.

"Never mind her!" Hans called out to people, chuckling. "She had a close call with a troll yesterday. She's still in shock." He beckoned for Anna to keep walking.

Several people nodded and murmured in understanding before going about their business again. Anna glanced at those nearest to her, eyeing inverted bodices, full skirts, coifs and bonnets. The clothing _did_ seem a little outdated.

"Wait," Anna said, lowering her voice so only Hans could hear. "What did you just say about a troll?"

"You saw one yesterday," Hans answered. When Anna slowly started shaking her head, Hans added, "Really, you've forgotten all about the big thing that chased you?"

Anna's eyes grew wide. She thought back to the frightening sounds outside of Judet's cabin the night before.

"Judet said those were 'stallos'," Anna said, raising her eyebrow. Obviously Hans had never seen a troll before.

Hans shrugged. "Nuance. It's probably Lappish for troll."

"Wait," Anna said. She stopped suddenly, noticing they had come to the bridge leading to the castle. It was much narrower than the bridge she knew. "Where were you taking me?" She narrowed her eyes at him, warning bells going off in the back of her head. _Good thing I woke up_ , she thought.

"Ah," Hans replied, averting his eyes.

"Ah?"

"I was taking you to the castle… I thought you might react better if you were at home," Hans answered.

"Oh, sure. How thoughtful. Why were you _really_ bringing me to the castle?"

Hans chuckled under her piercing gaze. "Relax. I meant it when I said I gain nothing by harming you here," he said. "I'm somewhat of a guest at the castle. I thought having you around might be useful."

Anna's mouth turned up in disgust. "Useful?" Then she crossed her arms. "Wait, why would _you_ be a guest here?"

"That's kind of a long story. It all began when my ex-fiancé punched me so hard that I went back in time," Hans snapped. An elderly trader passing them at that very moment gave them a scrutinizing stare. Hans shut his mouth and smiled. Anna followed his example, even waving at the trader. The man shook his head and continued on past them.

"All right, all right. So, say this is the 'past'. You're not sure how _you_ got here. But I know how I got here!"

Hans said nothing, motioning for her to elaborate. He looked about as intrigued as if he was attending a lecture on the history of the thimble.

"The trolls sent me here. All we have to do is find the Valley of Living Rock and get them to send us back," she explained. She grinned at how simple it sounded. Some part of her still thought this was all in her head; Kai or Gerda's knock on her door would wake her at any moment now. She'd find Elsa in the Great Hall. Hans would be on a ship back to the Southern Isles—never to return. She and her sister would have picnics with Kristoff, Olaf and Sven. Her subconscious mind clearly invented this trip to the past in order for her to find closure. But she'd had enough. "I'm ready to wake up now!"

"Anna," Hans said sharply. "There are two things I need you to do right now. One, stop thinking that this is a dream. Two, _stop_ talking about trolls like they're your long lost friends. The trolls here have been terrorizing the people of Arendelle. They're taking up more and more of the forest. The only thing keeping them from stampeding into town is the king and his men."

With that information, Anna hesitated. Judet had said the creatures hated Arendelle. Hans kept calling them 'trolls', but there was no way they could be Kristoff's family.

"Fine," she said. "Suppose that the 'trolls' here are giant monsters and the trolls I know aren't around yet. Do you have a better idea?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Follow me." With that, he strode ahead across the bridge toward the castle.

"Hans, wait!" she called after him, following.

* * *

Kristoff could not believe his eyes. Normally, he didn't find books all that interesting. But standing in front of him was an entire history of his family. Growing up, he'd always felt blessed to be taken in by magical people. They never made him feel as though he didn't fit in, un-magical though he was. But he'd always been curious about them. He knew little apart from their deep bond with the elements.

Kristoff reached out longingly, his fingers mere inches from the topmost shelf. Bulda startled him away from it by hovering next to his shoulder and clearing her throat.

"One day, maybe. Not today," she said. "Even I haven't read most of these."

Kristoff felt his ears grow hot with embarrassment. He hadn't even stopped to think about whether his action would be intrusive.

Bulda smiled and winked, giving her adopted son an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Now…" She turned in mid-air toward Elsa and Grand Pabbie at the other end of the treasury cave. Kristoff took the hint and quietly made his way over to Grand Pabbie.

"It has many names… one story calls it the Mirror of Reason. Others call it an evil mirror or simply _the_ mirror. I've always thought of it as a truth mirror," Grand Pabbie said, standing on one of the rock chairs.

"A truth mirror?" Elsa asked. She acknowledged Kristoff as he took a seat beside her to listen.

"Yes… normal mirrors seem to reflect exactly what we show them. But they never tell the whole truth. Do you know why?"

Elsa looked over to Kristoff, both looking uncertain. Kristoff looked down for a moment. Then, he had a thought.

"If I hold up my right hand to a mirror… my reflection raises his left back at me," Kristoff answered.

Grand Pabbie beamed at him. "Very good. Now instead, imagine a mirror that can _only_ show us the truth. It would never reflect what we show it… instead, it might show us our most secret desires or deepest fears. It might show one's past; it might show one's enemy. Such power could work miracles, but it could also drive one mad."

Kristoff nodded, understanding. "So why would the ice lady want it?"

Grand Pabbie frowned. "Who knows? We only had a fragment of the original mirror. We've been guarding it for as long as I can remember. But even the fragment is a powerful object… I fear what anyone would want with it."

"Do you…" Elsa started to ask, looking at the various bookcases. "Do any of your documents say anything about this Ice Maiden?"

"Your Majesty… forgive me if this seems unrelated, but do you remember when you came here as a child with your parents and your younger sister? It was so long ago, you might not recall," Grand Pabbie said.

Elsa nodded, forgiving the tangent. Perhaps it was important.

"I asked your parents whether you were born or cursed with your powers…" he continued. "I asked because one who is born with magic has never known anything else. So he or she cannot easily succumb to power. It's just a part of them that they must learn to wield wisely."

Elsa leaned forward, sitting on the edge of her seat.

"Someone cursed with power, however, is indeed cursed. The longer the curse remains, the more their power feeds on them until nothing is left of the original person. I'm afraid the only thing I know for certain about this Ice Maiden is that she was cursed with her power... so she is very, very dangerous."

Kristoff gulped audibly, but Grand Pabbie ignored it and continued.

"There must be a reason she's come to Arendelle… a reason she came for the mirror. If you're to protect everyone, you must find out what she's really after."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	14. The Warning Letter

Kristoff could not get used to flying. Even Sven following from the ground was little comfort. Every time he looked down beyond his feet, his head swam. But if he glanced up at the snow angel, his skin crawled the same way it had when he first met Olaf. He was glad he could ride along by clinging to the queen rather than her eerie snow servant.

Queen Elsa frowned deeply in thought as they glided southwest back to the kingdom. It was for this reason Kristoff decided not to share Bulda's last-minute news before their departure. At least, it was partly the reason.

Kristoff found himself frowning now too. Anna had gone to his family for help without telling him. What shocked Kristoff more was that the trolls had helped her. Couldn't they have waited and gotten word to him first?

Kristoff scowled. There he was again, thinking he had any business in Anna's decision making. He thought back to their conversation at her bedroom doorway. He hadn't understood why she cared if Hans had drowned—not after what Hans had done.

Naiveté was sort of part of Anna's charm.

Elsa pointed down and spoke. "There's the castle."

 _Great_ , Kristoff thought. _Once we get there, I'm out of excuses not to tell her._ He had originally convinced himself not to broach the subject just in case Elsa dropped him in surprise.

"I need to warn everyone about the Ice Maiden," Elsa said. Kristoff nodded. Unlike the trolls, the people of Arendelle would not be able to wield their own magical barrier. If the Ice Maiden were to attack, they might well have to defend themselves. "Can we travel any faster?"

Kristoff's jaw dropped. "Personally, this seems fast enough to me—AGH!"

The snow angel obeyed Elsa's wishes before Kristoff could finish voicing his thoughts on the matter. At first they dropped several feet in the air. Then Kristoff was tossed up above Elsa as the snow angel nose dived toward Arendelle. Kristoff wailed as the wind hit his face. The trees below them became a blur of greens and browns. He shut his eyes as they began to tear; the queen's hand felt so light in his that he squeezed it in fear that she'd slip away from him and he would plummet and crash to the ground.

Suddenly, they slowed. Kristoff popped one eye open to confirm his suspicion: they were nearly there. They spiraled in their descent towards the courtyard. The snow angel slowed down until both Kristoff and the queen could step onto the ground.

"My hand's starting to hurt…"

Kristoff looked down at his hand locked onto the queen's. He practically threw her hand back to her.

"Apologies, Your Majesty! That was incredibly rude."

"Yes," the queen agreed. She shook her head and chuckled. Kristoff could hear what a strain it was for her to laugh.

 _Now's a good time as any_ , Kristoff thought. He opened his mouth to speak when the queen turned away, rushing for the castle.

"We should hurry," she said.

"Your Majesty!" Kristoff called after her, running to catch up. Two guards bowed fully as they opened the castle doors to them. Kristoff passed between them, blinking from one to the other as they stayed with their backs bent until the queen was inside.

"Kai!" Elsa called, her voice echoing in the entrance hall."Gerda!"

Kristoff chased after the queen as she ran towards the Great Hall. Elsa threw the doors open, startling a few guards who were in deep conversation. She smiled when she spotted Kai among them.

"Kai!"

"Queen Elsa!" Kai greeted her and bowed with the rest of the men. "Did you find the princess?"

The queen's smile faded. "No… and it gets worse. There's a mysterious woman who attacked a…" she hesitated, glancing back at Kristoff. "Community in the forest. Have you ever heard of the Ice Maiden?"

Kai looked as bewildered with the guards as he shook his head.

"She's dangerous. She has powers—like mine, but she's misusing her magic," Elsa explained.

"Your Majesty… I think perhaps you over-exerted yourself in the search for your sister," Kai said, approaching her carefully. He extended a sympathetic hand and rested it on her shoulder. Elsa backed away from him.

"Ask Kristoff! It's true!"

Kai looked from the agitated queen to the out-of-place ice harvester some feet behind her. As everyone's eyes fell upon him, Kristoff recognized discrimination in the head servant's eyes. Kristoff expected it from nobles like Lord Harald, but it was disappointing to see it in Kai.

"It _is_ true," Kristoff finally said.

Elsa was the one to reach out to Kai now. "Please… I need for you and Gerda to search the library. See if you can find anything about a woman with magic like mine, or a person called the 'Ice Maiden'. She was after some kind of mirror… Look for that too."

Kai nodded, but he still looked wary. "Your Majesty, I will do as you ask but I beg that you rest for a while. You're not acting like yourself."

"I'm fine," Elsa insisted. "Now, go. Get some servants to assist you. Guards, to your posts." Kristoff almost cringed when she turned on him next. "Follow me, please."

She led him from whence they came: back out into the courtyard. There, Elsa brought her thumb and index fingers to her lips. She blew out a long, trilling whistle and stared up expectantly when she finished. Kristoff raised his eyebrow, looking back and forth between the castle and the queen. What was she waiting for?

As they waited, again Kristoff recognized a good opportunity to tell Elsa about Anna. He knew the longer he waited, the stranger it would seem.

A surprisingly chilly gust of wind blew through the courtyard, giving Kristoff goose bumps. Later on, he supposed the wind was what had made him look up. The snow angels had given no other warning of their arrival. They were suddenly just there, a dozen or more drifting down towards Elsa until they all stood on the ground. Kristoff inched closer to Elsa. The faceless creatures completely unnerved him.

"Uhh… what are these, exactly?" Kristoff asked. He hadn't thought to ask when it had just been one of them.

Elsa's brow furrowed. "Snow angels," she said. Then she turned away from him. "But none of them have seen Anna."

"Oh."

Kristoff looked down at his feet. "About Anna…" he started to say. He was interrupted by excited shouting above them. Kristoff looked up and did a double-take.

Floating down from one of the palace towers in the arms of yet another snow angel was none other than Olaf, the friendly the little snowman who liked hugs.

"Hello down there!" Olaf waved.

"Olaf! What are you doing?" Elsa asked.

"What?!" Olaf shouted down, unable to hear her.

"I said, what are you doing?!" Elsa repeated, raising her voice.

The snow angel was gentle as she set Olaf down on his feet.

"This is Gyda!" Olaf said, gesturing back towards his escort as he stepped up towards Elsa. "She…helped me… but…" Olaf stopped speaking as his mouth quivered. His eyes drooped as he looked down.

"Olaf?" Elsa asked, crouching down in front of him. "Is something wrong? You're always smiling. It's strange to see you so upset."

"I'm so sorry! Will you ever forgive me?!" Olaf sobbed, throwing himself at Elsa's feet, planting his face on the ground so that his nose was pushed back into his snowball head.

Kristoff bit his cheek to keep from laughing. Leave it to Olaf to be comical even when he was apologizing. But what on earth had gotten into the little snowman? Whatever it was, it would have to wait.

"Your Majesty?" Kristoff said, stepping up.

But the queen still looked at Olaf, her concern only growing. Kristoff could have rolled his eyes. Instead, he cleared his throat, again trying to draw Elsa's attention away from Olaf's theatrics.

Finally, he had no choice. He said, "I need to tell you something about Anna." Only, his voice was not alone as he said it. He looked down, blinking back at a bewildered Olaf. They had said the same thing at the same time.

Elsa stood up and turned her back towards them, her voice stern when she spoke. "The three of us should probably speak in private then."

Olaf and Kristoff both gulped, but followed her back into the castle. Kristoff studied the queen's back as she led the way. He wished she would turn and give some kind of indication of her mood. Did she already know what they had to tell her? But how could she?

He recognized the corridor on the left as they turned into it. She was taking them to the council chamber. Well, that made sense. But everyone knew by now that Anna was missing. Why did the queen feel the need to speak exclusively with Olaf and himself?

The queen stopped before she reached the council chamber door. She whirled around. Her movement had been so sudden that Kristoff and Olaf almost walked right into her.

"Oof!" Olaf yelped, hopping back with a goofy little smile. "That was close."

Kristoff was startled by the irritation in Elsa's eyes. Well, both he and Olaf had kept something from her. He should have expected this kind of reaction.

"Your Majesty."

The greeting came from a voice to their right. Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf all turned their heads to see Lord Harald standing at the bottom landing of the east stairwell.

"Lord Harald," the queen greeted him. Lord Harald bowed to her, approaching her with something in his hands.

"A letter arrived from the Southern Isles," Lord Harald explained. He hesitated, frowning at the parchment in his hands. "You were gone all morning, so I took it upon myself to read the contents. But… you should read this as well, Your Majesty." He gave a slight bow as he extended the letter over to Elsa.

The queen unfurled the parchment and began to read, her eyes moving wildly from word to word, her forehead creasing as she read further.

"…Here then, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, are the facts which explain how a miscarriage of justice has been made; and the moral evidence, the treatment of a Duke of Weselton, the absence of reasonable trial, the heinous accusations made against the King's youngest son, shrouding the incident from his home country, completes its demonstration of the greed and dishonesty of your crown, which dishonors our diplomatic relationship." Elsa's hand shook as she read the letter aloud, but she pushed herself to read on.

"We accuse the crown of Arendelle to have carried out without fair authority, particularly in light of recent rumors, an abominable campaign, to mislay the opinion and to cover their fault.

We accuse finally the Queen of Arendelle to have violated the right, by condemning a dignitary on crimes unproven, by intimidating the majority to permit her tyranny. We will henceforth utilize our navy to block all trade, travel and other friendly exchange between our kingdoms until Prince Hans is safely returned to the Southern Isles, where the rightful parties shall determine his innocence or guilt and subsequent punishment…

Your pitiful example of diplomacy will not go ignored. If the prince is not returned within the week, our crown will officially declare war on Arendelle."

When she was finished, the queen lowered the letter and shrunk away from those around her.

"That sounded like one really long sentence," Olaf commented.

Kristoff swatted the little snowman and shook his head in warning.

"How could they have found out about Hans's crimes? Why is all the other information so distorted? They think I'm holding him prisoner? I was prepared to send him home for trial."

Lord Harald gave her a sympathetic look.

"How could this happen?" Elsa said, crumpling the letter up in her fist.

Lord Harald interjected here. "I did try to warn you, Your Majesty. Someone must have sent word before you could write to them yourself." He cringed as the queen strode towards him, anger piercing through her eyes. But she walked around him to the stairwell.

"Elsa?" Olaf called after her as Elsa began to walk up.

"I want to be alone," she said.

"Your Majesty, if I may suggest—"

The queen flung her arm out. Ice spiked from the wall next to Lord Harald; fear held his tongue where reason had failed.

"I-want-to-be-alone," she repeated.

Then she left them all staring after her. Kristoff and Olaf both sighed at the lost opportunity.

"That went well," Kristoff muttered.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will pick up with Anna and Hans in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Oh, and special thank you to MoonShadow396 for helping me out with the end of this chapter!


	15. The Unrelated Siblings

Anna tried not to stare as Hans exchanged words with the castle guards. Gone were the dark grey hats and long overcoats. In place of those, these guards wore shorter grey overcoats, dainty black shoes and white tights underneath black shorts. The two at the castle entrance were both equipped with tall spears in hand and swords in brown scabbards. Both men eyed Anna cautiously as Hans greeted them.

"She's with me," Hans said. "I need to report to King Olaf and Queen Elsebet."

 _King Olaf?_ Anna thought of her family tree and tried to place the names. But it was difficult when she had never taken any interest in her family history. The famous saints and artists in portraits around the castle had always been more fascinating to her.

The guard on the right narrowed his eyes and spoke in a gruff voice. "We know you, troll hunter. But we'll need to search her."

"Troll hunter?" Anna said, startled as the guards came toward her. One confiscated her satchel while the other patted her coat. "H-hey! Watch it!" She ducked out of the one guard's reach and clenched the coat tightly about herself, shaking her head at him. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"They're just making sure you're not carrying anything dangerous," Hans explained.

Anna gave him a meaningful stare when he used the word 'dangerous'. But the second guard interrupted the exchange.

"You can't take this into the castle." He frowned with disapproval as he dangled Anna's knife by its handle.

"I wasn't trying to sneak it in!"

"You can hold onto that," Hans said to the guards. "Now, may we pass?"

"Hey!" Anna objected.

"Relax. You'll get it back when we leave."

The guards nodded as they each took one of the door handles and opened the double-door to the castle. The guard holding onto Anna's knife stowed it away in his coat as Hans led Anna into the castle. Anna was relieved to see that while the outside of the castle and its guards were far from familiar, the entrance hall looked almost the same. It was the same red carpeting up the double staircase with a passage to the Great Hall beneath. But when Anna looked up, she saw the chandeliers were simpler. The ornate carvings and paint on the ceiling were missing too, making the vaulted ceiling look plain.

As she followed Hans at a comfortable distance through the passage between the staircases, Anna felt a bit like an intruder. How peculiar it was to feel like a stranger in her own castle! Not as peculiar as her following Hans, maybe. The thought made her pause some steps behind him even as he reached the doors to the Great Hall.

"Are you going to just stand there?"

Anna looked up as Hans opened the doors. What would the King and Queen be like? Were they her great-great-grandparents, or maybe great-great-great? Her head spun a little. Would they be anything like Elsa or her parents?

"I'm going in," Hans whispered. He went on ahead without her.

Anna ended up following. She was surprised to see two crowds of people taking up either half of the room. There must have been over fifty people standing there. All of them faced the other end of the hall where a man and woman sat upon two thrones.

She drew closer to the group on the left. No one turned toward her, but it was possible that her presence went unnoticed. They all only had eyes for the king and the queen. The three women in front of her whispered among each other as they watched Hans walk up between the two crowds. Anna had to lean out of the way each time one of them turned to whisper so that their puffy skirts would not bump into her.

"Sir Hans, you have returned!" the king said. He looked nothing like Anna or anyone else in her family. He was a heavyset, older man with a powdered wig on his head that looked to Anna more like a sheep than a decent hairstyle.

"Your Majesties." Hans greeted them with an old-fashioned bow; the gesture was deep and held for an exaggerated period of time. Anna almost sniggered.

"We are glad to see you, Sir," Queen Elsebet smiled. The queen had fair blond hair pulled up onto her head. A heavy crown glittered above her forehead. Anna tried squeezing between two people to get a closer look at the queen. But the elderly couple in front of her gave her warning glances over their shoulders. Their disagreeable, powdery faces persuaded her to stay put. There was no need to draw attention to herself. "And who is the woman in the back who arrived with you?"

Anna wanted to hide under one of the puffy skirts in front of her as members of both crowds turned back to look at her.

"Who's she?"

"Those braids! Does she think she's a child?!"

"What strange clothes…"

"Sir Hans _brought_ her with him? Is it his wife?"

Didn't any of them know that Hans was a prince?

"Wife? No! He can't be married!"

Anna's eyes scanned the room, but it was hard to tell which murmurs came from whom. None of what was uttered was particularly polite, but it was all _just_ loud enough for her.

"Hi-hey-hello!" Anna said, clearing her throat. Then she bent in a near forty-five degree angle, realizing halfway through that she should be curtsying. So she curtsied immediately afterward before standing up straight again, blinking back at the wide eyes gawking at her. Her whole greeting had obviously been a blunder. "Your Majesties."

King Olaf stared wordlessly at the strange girl in the back of the room. His wife shook in her throne beside him, holding one hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"That's my sister," Hans suddenly said. He scrunched his face at Anna as if to say, 'What on earth was _that_?' "Her name is Anna."

 _Oh, now I'm his sister?_ Anna thought, raising an eyebrow.

"We did not realize your sister was traveling with you! You brought her all the way from Grimmstad?" the queen asked, looking startled. "I hope she did not venture into the forests with you. They are far too dangerous for a young woman."

The men and women in the crowds murmured their agreement. Some of them nodded. Anna narrowed her eyes at them.

"She came searching for me when she heard I'd gone on another hunt," Hans quickly explained. "I guess while I'm the troll hunter, she's the 'Hans hunter'."

Anna jumped as the entire hall erupted with laughter.

"Impressive, isn't it? The bond between siblings…" the king muttered. The queen reached over and squeezed her husband's hand as the room gradually quieted. "She must stay in the castle, then. There are renovations being done. It gets a little noisy on the upper levels, but we hope you won't mind."

Anna looked a second time at the king and queen, deciding that there was something about them after all that reminded her of her parents. She gave a proper curtsy this time—one befitting a princess—and took pride in the gasps from the audience. Stay in the castle? She couldn't exactly say no. Perhaps if she could get a moment alone with one of them, she could ask for help…

"Thank you very much, Your Majesties," Hans said. Anna nearly groaned. She'd almost forgotten about Hans. "We're both honored by your hospitality."

"It's the least we could do. We're honored that the famous Grimmstad Troll Hunter has agreed to help us with our recent… problem," the king replied.

Anna frowned. There it was again. People kept calling Hans a troll hunter. She knew now that they meant the Stallos, but how did Hans come by his new reputation in such short time?

She looked from the king to Hans, determined to find out.

"Ah… speaking of which, may I make a report now, Your Majesty?" Hans asked, bowing in respect. Anna felt like hurling. There was no way Hans could feel half the reverence he was displaying.

"Please," the king answered. He stood up to address the crowd. "This morning's petitions are through. Those with urgent concerns may return tomorrow." There were some sighs of disappointment, but everyone bowed and began to disperse.

"Come. Let us resume in the council chamber," King Olaf said, gesturing for Hans to follow.

Anna stepped and dodged out of people's way as they exited the Great Hall, turning her shoulders to avoid being knocked into. She squeezed her way through the back of the departing crowd, stepping up to the thrones. Queen Elsebet stood to excuse herself, smiling at Anna and expressing her hope to see Anna at dinner so that she could speak more with her then. Anna nodded, returning the smile with a nervous grin. Of the two royals, the queen was definitely easier to talk to. She hoped she would not have to talk to King Olaf during the meal for any prolonged period of time.

Anna curtsied to the queen and then trailed after Hans, trying to listen to his conversation with the king as the two men began to leave.

"…still keeping a safe distance. But their strength is growing somehow. I could tell they were testing the boundaries," Hans was saying, speaking softly. "Something will need to be done soon."

"Um," Anna said, raising her voice to catch their attention. Both men stopped and turned to look at her. "Have the Sta…trolls actually, um, hurt anyone?" she asked, clasping her hands together in front of her.

Hans looked at her like his eyes were going to leap out of their sockets. King Olaf also looked stunned by the interruption.

"Young lady… has your brother told you nothing about the monsters?"

"Oh, I've seen them. I know how scary they look. But what's the big deal? Do they just stomp around and growl at people?"

Yes. Hans's eyes were definitely going to jump out of his skull if she kept talking. It was all Anna could do not to smirk at him.

The king shook his head at her. "The 'big deal', child, is the interruption of the saw mill. The trolls have destroyed it twice already. It's only a matter of time before one of the workers get hurt. Then there's the matter of anyone trying to travel north or south through the forests. They can only go so far before the trolls chase them out. It's blocked trade to and from the north." He fixed a stern eye on Anna, as though preparing to talk her down again if she said anything more.

Anna frowned. "I see… please, excuse me." She bowed and turned away from them so they could continue talking. She walked toward the other end of the Great Hall, her head almost reeling from information. Hans definitely owed her another explanation. Why was everyone here calling him a troll hunter? Why did he tell them he was from Grimmstad? Why was she his sister now? She shook her head as she entered the passage back to the entrance hall.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" she thought out loud. She turned and looked up at the chandeliers twinkling above her. The only ones who could send her home were probably trolls. But the trolls here were considered dangerous menaces. She sighed and had to admit it to herself: she had no choice but to trust Hans for now.

Something moved on the landing at the top of the stairs. Anna's head jerked up. She thought she saw someone backing away into the upstairs corridor.

"Hello?!" she called. "Who's there?!"

Had someone been watching her? She ran up the first few steps on the left staircase but saw nothing. She could have sworn she saw someone. Hans was probably still talking with the king. Could it have been Queen Elsebet?

Slowly, Anna made her way up the stairs. Although no one was there, it still felt like she was being observed. When she reached the top step, she put her back against the wall and inched toward the threshold to the next corridor. She paused, holding her breath and counting to three before she jumped out into the corridor.

The library door at the end of the corridor slammed shut.

"Gotcha!" Anna yelled, hoping whoever it was had heard.

Someone _had_ been watching her.

* * *

Dusk crawled in through Elsa's bedroom windows, making the walls glow purple and gold. The troubled queen held her head in her hands. She sat on the floor with her back against her bedroom door, trying to conjure up a solution. But really, she just wanted to forget about everything, even if it was only for a moment. As queen, of course, she could not afford to. More importantly, Arendelle could not afford it again.

A snowflake fell upon her hand. Elsa looked at it. She held so much power, yet she was powerless.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Please go away."

"We need to talk." It was Kristoff's voice.

Elsa leaned forward. She stood up and moved away from the door, looking back at it uncertainly. "I just want to be alone right now."

"I know you do, but this is about Anna."

 _That's right,_ Elsa thought, reaching out for the door handle. Kristoff and Olaf had both had something to tell her. She'd gotten so wrapped up in the letter from the Southern Isles, she'd forgotten. Finally, she opened the door and let Kristoff in.

"Thank you," Kristoff said. "Erm…"

"Please," Elsa said, indicating the chairs on either side of her window. When Kristoff sat down, Elsa took a seat in the other chair.

"Olaf was going to come, but he was too upset," Kristoff began.

"Yes, something seems to have gotten to him. Something about Anna?" Elsa asked. Although she kept her voice neutral, she clasped and twisted her hands together as she wondered how bad it could be that it caused the happy snowman such distress.

"Olaf said that he helped Anna sneak out of Arendelle so she could search for Hans," Kristoff answered, speaking much more quickly than was natural.

"So she did go after Hans," Elsa replied with a frown. "How could she be so foolish?!" Somehow, she wasn't surprised.

"That's not all."

Elsa looked over at him again, waiting for more bad news. She had to give the ice harvester credit for being brave enough to be the messenger. But there was no way she could have prepared herself for what he told her next.

"Before we left the Valley of Living Rock… my mother took me aside and told me something else…"

Elsa waited patiently, telling herself that things could only get better. Perhaps the troll had seen Anna in the forest. But then why hadn't they mentioned it to her?

"The mirror that the ice maiden took…" Kristoff continued, hesitating. He seemed to be thinking of the best way to break something to Elsa.

"What about the mirror?" Elsa asked. Her frown deepened. What could the ice maiden's mirror possibly have to do with her sister?

"Apparently Anna went to the trolls for help, and they somehow used the mirror to send Anna to Hans's location."

 _Now_ Elsa bolted up out of her seat, towering over Kristoff. Kristoff cringed against the back of his chair when he saw the fury on the queen's face. _Let him cringe_ , she thought in anger.

"Why did they say nothing?!" Elsa hissed. The temperature in the room dropped.

"They're kind of weird like that," Kristoff answered. He looked off to the side at the frost forming on the window.

"Why did you not tell me sooner?" she asked next. She could tell from his face that he'd expected that.

"I-I t-t-tried… ssssev-v-veral t-times," Kristoff answered, almost choking on cold air. He started to tremble in a fit of shivers.

When Elsa noticed his teeth chattering, she stopped herself. What was she doing?

"I'm sorry!" she gasped. The room thawed a little. Kristoff coughed as he breathed in the warmer air. "You were just trying to help…"

"It's okay. I'd have been mad too," he assured her. He gave her a half-smile.

Elsa stepped away from him, feeling more ashamed of herself than she had for causing the summer blizzard. At least the blizzard had been accidental.

She suddenly said, "I don't know what to do." She turned away, her lip quivering. Why tell him that? It wasn't his problem. He wanted to find Anna, but the rest of it was no concern of his. Well, perhaps the ice maiden was, after attacking his family.

Kristoff responded with gentle resolve. "The Ice Maiden has the mirror, so we need to find her. But first, we need to deal with that letter from the Southern Isles."

Elsa turned around, stunned.

"What's with the look?" he asked.

Her face warmed as she smiled. She hadn't given this friend of Anna's enough credit.

"It's nothing."

It wasn't 'nothing' to her, of course; it was hope.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Listen to Coldplay's "Up&Up" if you reread the second part of this chapter. I was listening to it when I wrote... it seemed fitting. :)


	16. A Long Chapter

The echo of the slamming door repeated in Anna's head. She looked from door to door as she stepped lightly, making her way down the corridor. When she reached the door to the library, she turned the doorknob as quietly as possible. She pulled the door open slowly, wincing when it creaked and whined just a little.

Anna expected someone to be reading on the sofa. Perhaps it would be the person who had been watching her; they would act like they hadn't done any such thing, of course. But no one was in the library. The room was even dark, lit only by the lanterns from the corridor.

Anna looked down. The red carpeting was the same. The sofa was the same, although even in the dim lighting, the upholstery looked a little brighter than she recalled. Anna opened the door a little further so that the light would shine upon the large portrait above the table lining the wall. Instead of her father, another king held the orb and scepter from a coronation. Anna squinted a little, stepping closer to the portrait. The man did look something like a younger version of King Olaf, but the nose and cheekbones were a little off. Could the man be King Olaf's father?

The library door creaked. Anna's head jerked toward the door just in time for her to see someone duck and run out.

"Hey!" she called, dashing after them. But she heard the slam of another door out in the corridor before she even made it out of the library. "You sure are shy…"

Then she thought of herself as a child. When they were very young, Elsa used to play hide-and-seek with her. It was one of Anna's favorite games. But when things had changed, there was no one to play with. Sometimes Kai would try, but he was too big and easy to find. After a while, Anna had put her own twist on the game. She would hide from others in the castle without telling them, making noise sometimes to startle Gerda or one of the guards. Then when they tried to find her, she'd sneak off to another hiding spot. They would be left wondering who and what the noise had been. Anna giggled just thinking about it, wondering if Kai ever told Gerda it had been Anna all along.

She tried the second door to the left, knowing it to be the portrait room in her own time period. She was pleased to see it had still been a portrait room back in…what even was the year? She made a mental note to ask someone.

Unlike the library, the portrait room was lit by chandeliers. Anna grinned at the familiar portraits. She noted that some were missing, either not yet painted or acquired. She went to one corner of the room where royal family members' portraits were kept. She could tell immediately that a few generations were absent. The wall was not as crowded. Her grandparents and parents were nowhere to be seen.

A cough from the far end of the room drew Anna's attention to the tall windows.

"Hello?" Anna called. When there was no reply, she tiptoed to the windows. There were three of them. Long, maroon curtains covered each one, but the middle window's curtain looked a little bit like a storm had run through it. Grinning, Anna crept toward the middle window. Suddenly she took the left side of the curtain and tugged it aside, revealing a young and alarmed, platinum haired young woman to be hiding on the other side.

Anna gasped. "Elsa?!" The woman narrowed her eyes. No…not Elsa. Her eyes were different; they were not blue, but sea-green. But her hair! It was that same long white blonde Anna had always envied when they were younger, but this girl wore it loose. The girl was younger than her sister, anyway. She looked a few years younger than Anna herself.

"Excuse me?" the girl asked. Then she quickly curtsied. "I'm Princess Kirsten. I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. My parents don't like me bothering guests. But I heard you were the troll hunter's sister."

"Kirsten…" Anna murmured. Queen Kirsten had been her Great-Great Grandmother who passed away shortly before Elsa was born. She remembered their mother talking about her. Could this be _that_ Kirsten?

Anna realized she probably looked rude, so she quickly curtsied and bowed her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Anna."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"But… I thought you might be playing hide-and-seek with me," Anna said with a laugh.

"Hide-and-seek?" the princess asked, tilting her head.

 _What? She doesn't know hide-and-seek?_ Anna thought.

"Yeah, it's a game. Don't you have any siblings you play it with?" Anna asked. She could have bit her tongue afterwards when she saw the grim look on the princess's face at the mention of siblings.

Kirsten shook her head. "It's just me, I'm afraid," she answered.

Anna had Elsa, of course. But for a long time, she had known loneliness. Maybe it was the resemblance to Elsa or the fond stories their mother had told about their Great-Great Grandmother, but Anna wanted to lift Kirsten's spirits.

"Then what do you do for fun?" Anna asked.

Kirsten's face lit up for a half-second before she thought about her answer. Then she looked embarrassed. Anna laughed at the rapid change.

"What?" Anna asked.

"Well, I'm not allowed to leave the castle… so mostly, I just read…"

Not allowed to leave the castle? Anna frowned. Kirsten's story was feeling more and more familiar. But she could tell it was a delicate topic. So she decided to tread lightly.

"What kind of books do you like to read?" Anna asked.

Kirsten looked excited by the question, though also uncertain of Anna's interest. "Come, I'll show you the library…" Kirsten said, finally stepping away from the window behind her. She beckoned Anna to follow her out of the portrait room. As they returned to the library, Anna reflected on how odd it felt to be given a tour of her own home. But she kept an awed expression on her face lest Princess Kirsten think she was unimpressed.

"I know I should feel very fortunate and honored in my position," Kirsten said as they entered the library. "But the truth is that it's awfully boring being the Crown Princess. Mother always has me taking lessons. Father barely talks to me. He wishes I was my brother."

Anna halted by one of the chairs before she took a seat. "I thought you were an only child?"

"I am. My brother Peder died at birth. Father never quite moved on," Kirsten explained.

"I'm so sorry…" Anna frowned. Never when her parents were alive had she ever felt that Elsa or herself were loved more than the other by either of their parents. She had never wanted the crown for herself, so there had never been that to be jealous of. True, in general she felt that Elsa was the prettier and more graceful sister. Hans's comment about Elsa being preferable had certainly hurt. But other than that, Anna had never had a thought about not being able to measure up to her elder sister. "It must be very difficult to compete with a sibling who's not even alive. Err—sorry, to put it so bluntly—"

"It's true," Kirsten said. "My father thinks we're cursed. Between my brother, the trolls and…other things. He avoids me, but he insists that I stay in the safety of the castle. The servants don't know how to talk to me. So I read. Books are better than people anyway."

Anna smiled a little, thinking of Kristoff's song about reindeer.

"I like adventure stories, mostly. But I'll read anything. History, poems, etiquette handbooks. Well, maybe the etiquette books are less enjoyable… but they're here between shipments. Mother knows I love to read, so she has father order books from all over the world every few months. I don't think he approves, but he can't say no to her."

"Wow…" Anna said. She was about to ask Kirsten her favorite story when Kirsten grabbed Anna's hands.

"You can imagine how excited I was to hear that the troll hunter was coming to help us! With the trolls gone, maybe Father will lighten up a little… you know?" She released Anna, a sheepish blush reddening her face. "Sorry, but... do you think your brother will be able to slay the trolls?"

"Hans is not—err," Anna stopped herself. She had yet to find out why Hans told everyone she was his sister. Better to keep to his story for the time being. "Not all trolls are bad, you know."

Kirsten looked floored by Anna's comment. "But they've obliterated the sawmill _twice_. They chase people out of the forest. It's hurt our trade with the kingdoms north of here."

Anna nodded. It was the same as what King Olaf had told her. "Has anyone tried talking to the trolls?" Anna asked.

Kirsten's jaw dropped. "T-talk-talking to them? Miss Anna… who but your brother would dare get close enough to one to try and speak to it? To be honest, I'm not even sure that they're capable of speech."

"No, then?" Anna asked, slightly annoyed when Hans was again referred to as her sibling. But more irritating were the assumptions about the Stallos. They had left Judet alone. What had she said? The Stallos have no quarrel with outcasts; it was just Arendelle they hated. There _had_ to be a reason. There were no Stallos in Arendelle of the future. Did King Olaf have them exterminated?

Kirsten gave an anxious shake of her head. "No… and I would caution against suggesting such a thing. My father feels very strongly about the trolls—and all magical people."

Anna's eyes widened. "Magical people?"

Kirsten looked away suddenly. "Ah… yes… it all goes along with his feeling that our family has been cursed. He's just superstitious."

Anna eyed her doubtfully. Kirsten was putting way too much thought into her words. There was more to it. Then it occurred to her. The hair… being kept locked in the castle… the fearful, anxious demeanor… it could very well be.

"Kirsten… I realize this may seem like a strange or intrusive question. You can just chalk it up to my own curiosity about this supposed curse. I figure you might know. Are there, um…any unusual, inherited gifts or traits passed down in your family?" She wasn't about to specify 'snow powers', but this was close enough. Only, Anna knew as soon as she stopped talking that she had asked a very taboo question. Kirsten backed away from her, staring at the ceiling and then at the floor. She kept moving her eyes, looking basically anywhere but at Anna.

"Miss Anna, it was very nice meeting you…" she said, looking over her shoulder at the library door to open it. "But I think we've been speaking a little too informally. I am a princess, after all. It is also getting late. Dinner will be served soon. You should get dressed. Please excuse me."

"Your Highness, just a moment!"

But Kirsten was already out the door. She did not look back. Anna leapt up from her chair to run after her, but when she reached the doorway, Hans appeared and blocked the way.

"Whoa! There you are," he said. Anna hopped up to peek over his shoulder, but she could not see Princess Kirsten in the corridor. "What are you doing?"

"Please move," Anna snapped at him, trying to squeeze around him through the spaces on either side. But he purposely shifted so that she could not.

"Pay attention. I have something to tell you," Hans said, holding her still by her shoulders. She shook him off of her and backed up into the library, glaring daggers.

"Great, I have your attention," he continued. "I'm going on another expedition into the trolls' lands tomorrow. You'll be joining me."

"I'll be what? _Excuse me_?"

"No excuses. The king asked me to find the trolls' weakness. You kept talking about some other trolls, so you at least have some insight. I think you'll be able to help."

At that, Anna crossed her arms. "What makes you think I'd help you?" But as she said it, she thought of the trolls in the Valley of Living Rock. "The trolls I know are peaceful. I don't want any harm to come to them." She thought of Grand Pabbie, Bulda and Cliff chanting in a circle around her before they sent her back in time. Could they have ancestors living in the Valley of Living Rock now? If so, they might be able to send her and Hans back to her own Arendelle. In that case, it would be worth seeking them out. "But maybe _they_ know about the other trolls."

Hans looked a little skeptical, but he asked, "Fine. But where do we find them?"

"There's a place called the Valley of Living Rock. I don't know if they live there now, but we can start there," she suggested. "You have to promise it will just be us. I don't want anyone else to know the location. It's Kristoff's family."

Hans looked at her like she had sprouted a third eye. "Kristoff?"

"The… the man who brought me back to the castle, remember? The ice harvester?"

"Oh, him."

There was zero jealousy in his voice, only vague recollection. Somehow, that was incredibly annoying to her.

"You have to promise me," she said again.

"Of course. I don't want anyone else claiming the glory," he said, making her frown. _That_ she could believe. She'd make sure to take her dagger back from the castle guard just in case.

"Sir Hans?"

Anna looked with him as Hans turned around. A servant stood behind them in the corridor.

"I'm to show Miss Anna to her room," the servant said, bowing her head. Only then did Hans step out of the library doorway so that Anna could come out.

"Tomorrow then," he said.

"Yeah," she answered, not looking at him as she walked up to the servant. Anna smiled at the girl, waving her ahead. "After you." The servant was shorter than Anna and younger than any of her castle staff. She also wore a bonnet over her head. Other than that, her uniform was similar to what Anna was used to. Anna followed the girl back to the stairwell. She followed her up the stairs to the next level, the sleeping quarters. The servant turned back toward Anna to speak.

"I've hung a number of spare lady's dresses in your wardrobe. Sir Hans told us how you lost your luggage on your journey here."

"That was strangely considerate of him," Anna thought out loud.

The servant look startled. "Begging your pardon, m'lady?"

"Oh, um, nothing!" Anna shook her head and gestured for the servant to continue guiding her.

* * *

"Your Majesties," Elsa said, writing the words out on the parchment on the council table. Kristoff sat on her left, glaring past her at Lord Harald. Olaf stood on the table, pacing back and forth.

"Ideas, anyone?" the queen asked, already at a loss for how to begin. Writing back had been Kristoff's idea. After some consideration and debate, Elsa decided to invite Lord Harald to assist with the composition. He had been right about word getting to the Southern Isles whether or not Elsa wrote to them. She felt that if she had listened to him to begin with, things might have turned out less severe.

"Your son Hans is a bully!" Olaf suggested. "A sneaky wolf in sheep's clothing!"

"Yeah, probably not," Elsa answered even though she smiled at his effort.

Kristoff sighed. "I've got nothing. I know this was my idea. But I've never been much of a letter-writer."

"Your Majesty, if I may?" Lord Harald spoke up. He did not seem to notice as Kristoff rolled his eyes.

"Please, Harald. What do you suggest?"

"You won't like the idea, but it may at least minimize the damage that has been done. The King and Queen of the Southern Isles currently think you're holding Hans prisoner at the castle. You need to dismiss that notion as soon as possible. Why not tell them that he and your sister are missing?"

Kristoff scoffed. "That makes it sound like they went missing together."

"Exactly," Lord Harald countered.

"I think you may be onto something, Harald. But why would they believe my sister willingly disappeared with Hans? Not after his attempted murders," Elsa answered. She shook her head. If she were them, _she_ wouldn't believe it.

"You must remember, they think that's only gossip," Lord Harald said.

"It's not gossip!" Elsa argued.

"Yes, we know that. But they don't. This is their son we are talking about. I'm only suggesting that you let them know you were about to send Hans back home to be tried in his own kingdom. But then he and Princess Anna ran off together. We can say that she didn't believe the gossip against him. This puts you in a neutral position as far as Hans's name, but in a parallel position because your sister is missing."

Elsa bit her lip, staring at the paper and quill in her hand. She didn't like it, but it might work.

"Where would they go? I've never heard such a stupid idea!" Kristoff said, crossing his arms. "You're not actually considering this, are you?"

"Mind your tongue, lad," Lord Harald warned him.

"Enough!" Elsa said. "Yes, Kristoff, I'm considering it. I know you have my sister's well-being in your heart. But when it comes to politics, Lord Harald has experience where you do not."

Kristoff frowned, but he bowed his head. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I will support whatever course of action you deem wisest." He gave a sidelong glare at the noble on the other side of her.

Elsa ignored the two of them for a moment as she penned down Lord Harald's idea in her own written voice. As she wrote the conclusion and stamped the letter closed with her royal seal, she couldn't help but feel that she had misjudged Lord Harald.

"Thank you for your assistance," she said to him. "I hope this will change their minds about declaring war."

"You and me both, Your Majesty," Lord Harald replied.

"If…" she hesitated, frowning. "If not, I will of course rely on your counsel for war."

Lord Harald smiled with a shake of his head. "Let us hope it won't come to that." He stood from his chair and bowed. "I'll bid you good night now. An old man like me is used to being in bed by now."

"Oh! My apologies! Please, have a good night."

Lord Harald smiled and bowed once more before he saw himself out of the council chamber. As soon as the door closed behind him, Kristoff grumbled in his chair.

"Man, there is just something I don't like about that guy," he said. Elsa was about to defend Lord Harald when Olaf interrupted.

"I'm just happy Elsa's not mad enough to throw me back in the dungeons!"

Elsa and Kristoff both looked at him. Elsa asked, "What are you talking about?"

He then told them of the guard who had put him in a cell and interrogated him about having seen Prince Hans. Elsa sat very still as she listened, her frown only growing deeper.

"That doesn't make any sense… I never gave any orders for anyone to be thrown into the dungeons. The royal guards should all know that Olaf is my own creation. They would have no reason to lock him up."

Throughout all this, Olaf kept saying, 'Oh? Oh!' while Kristoff looked between the two of them, raising one eyebrow.

"It's too late for this… Olaf, do you think you would recognize the guard if you saw him again?" Elsa asked. When the little snowman nodded, she said, "Good. I'll line them up tomorrow and have you point him out. I'd love to hear his excuse." She was thinking back to when some of her own guards had turned on her out of fear of her powers. She could understand them being wary of Olaf. But being wary was many steps away from putting him in the dungeons.

* * *

After dinner, Anna went back to her guestroom. She realized that she'd been assigned the very same guestroom Kristoff was staying in back in 1839. Anna let herself in and closed her door behind her. She immediately went to the bed and fell back onto the comforter, thinking about the impending trip to the Valley of Living Rock. She would have to find her way there all over again, but at least she still had the map in her satchel.

Kristoff would have heard the truth from the trolls by now. He and Elsa would be worrying about her. Would the trolls even know that they sent her back in time? They hadn't been able to see Hans's location.

"What kind of mirror was that, anyway?" she said, troubled. She sat up and went to the mirror standing against one wall. She peered into it, wondering if the trolls' mirror was just a normal mirror. Maybe it was just in their power to use mirrors for travel. If it was just because of one special mirror, perhaps the trolls of the past also had the mirror. If so, they could use it to send her back to the future.

Something moved in the mirror. Anna looked more closely. It was very faint, but she could see a monstrous face staring back at her; it was barely visible over her own reflection. Two devilish eyes blinked at her before the face disappeared. Anna shrieked.

A door she hadn't noticed on the right wall suddenly burst open. Hans appeared with a sword in his hand. Anna shrieked again, first startled by his barging in, then frightened that he was armed.

"What? _What_?! What is it?" Hans yelled, looking wildly around the room. "Is someone in here?!"

Anna shook her head. Her hand trembled as she pointed at the sword he held.

Hans sighed and lowered the sword. "I heard you scream. I thought maybe there was an intruder."

"What do you think you are?" Anna glared at the adjoining door. She had forgotten that some of the guestrooms were connected. Usually such rooms were taken up by visiting kings and queens or lords and ladies with children. That way the families would not all be stuffed into one room together.

"I told them you're my sister, remember? They thought we'd appreciate the adjoined guestrooms."

Anna groaned. "How very wrong they were…"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Hans asked as he set the sword down on the dressing table. "I have nothing to—"

"—gain by hurting me here, yeah, yeah. I remember. How can I believe you when you lie through grinning teeth to _everyone_? Which reminds me… why do people here seem to think you're some sort of troll-slaying hero?!"

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, that. It must be a great story. Did you actually slay any trolls?"

"Not me myself, no."

Anna just glared at him for being so obtuse.

"All right," he said. "When I arrived here, I just kind of… appeared deep in the forest, much farther from the kingdom than where you showed up. I too encountered trolls shortly after my arrival, only it was an entire band of them. They circled around me, snarling. I thought for sure I was a goner. But then this… man showed up, battleaxe in one hand and sword in the other. He saved my life. I tried to help him fend off the trolls, but then the troll leader came. He was larger and more vicious than all the rest. That's when the man gave me his supplies and pointed into the trees. 'Head south,' he told me. 'Run until you reach Arendelle. Don't look back.' There were too many of them… there was nothing the two of us could do. If we both ran, the trolls would have caught at least one of us. But with one man to hold them off, I knew the other might have a chance. So I ran. When I showed up here with his papers and belongings, people just assumed I was the troll hunter Arendelle sent for."

"Coward," Anna said.

"You weren't there, Anna. These trolls are not like the ones you described. They're evil."

"We'll see about that," Anna retorted. He didn't argue with her. Instead, silence settled between them.

Anna walked over to the bed and sat down, wondering when he would leave. But when she looked back over at him, he was smirking. "What are you smiling at?"

"If things had gone differently, we'd probably be sharing a bed by now."

Anna reached for one of the pillows beside her and chucked it at him, screaming in rage.

"GET OUT!"

Hans ducked, laughing. "All right!" He turned and made an exit, leaving the sword on the dresser.

Anna quickly ran up to lock the adjoining door. She looked to the sword and picked it up, taking it with her to bed. She was better off safe than sorry.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just making a quick note here about the family lineage. Remember, women used to be more likely to get married and have children at much younger ages than present times. This is why Anna's aware of her Great-Great Grandmother, whereas most modern people are lucky if they get to meet a great-grandparent. I realize it was less common for people to live to old age in the 1700s. But since Kirsten was royalty and did not often venture outside of the castle, I figured she lived a better life than most. =] She died at 85, in case you're curious! Maybe I will draw up a family tree... not sure about how I'd get it on here though.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If so, please leave a review. :D


	17. The Hunter's Log

A drop of sweat slid down the man's temple as Olaf moved in to study him with sharp eyes.

"Closer," Olaf commanded. Olaf's face moved in, his carrot nose now poking the man's double chin.

"Is this necessary?" Kristoff mumbled, holding Olaf up on his shoulders so that Olaf could look each individual in the line of guards face-to-face.

"Not him," Olaf answered, ignoring Kristoff's lack of enthusiasm. "Next!"

Kristoff side-stepped to the next man in the line. This one shifted his eyes as Olaf moved in.

"Oh?" Olaf said. The shiftiness was certainly familiar. He tried to recall the face of the man who had questioned him in the dungeons. But with every hour, the face became blurrier. Typically, Olaf remembered smiles better than frowns. His captor had only smiled once, and Olaf would never forget the malice that was in it. But Olaf was already starting to forget the rest of the man.

"Closer?" Kristoff offered.

"Nope, not this one."

Kristoff sighed. This went on for almost thirty minutes as Kristoff took Olaf through several rows of royal guards all lined up in the castle courtyard. When they reached the end of the last row, Kristoff muttered something about his aching shoulders before he picked Olaf up and held him out toward the guard.

"Eek!" the guard recoiled.

"Definitely not this one," Olaf said immediately. His captor had held no qualms about getting in his face. This guard couldn't be him.

"Are you sure?" Kristoff asked, settling the little snowman back down on his own two feet.

Olaf gave him a solemn nod and glanced over at the queen. She was deep in conversation at the other side of the courtyard with her servant, Kai. Olaf hated to disappoint Elsa again.

"So if none of _these_ guards are the one that locked you up… where could he be?"

Olaf shrugged. "Maybe he went on vacation?" he suggested. Kristoff raised his eyebrow. "Do guards not take vacations?"

"Nevermind…"

They both glanced over, noticing as Queen Elsa walked across the courtyard. Her eyes looked weary but hopeful.

"Well?" she asked. Kai stepped up after her, looking at Olaf expectantly.

"None of them," Kristoff said.

"Really?" Elsa asked, her eyes widening. Then she looked down, furrowing her brow as if working over a puzzle in her head.

"It seems that someone infiltrated the castle to hide Master Olaf. But why?" Kai said.

Olaf wished he had an answer for them, but he was just as confused. At the time he was seized, he had just assumed that the guard overheard him say he lied. But he hadn't actually said he lied. He only voiced his regret that he said he'd seen Hans.

"Olaf," Elsa said softly. Olaf looked up at her, his eyes drooping. "Do you remember anything else about this guard? What did he say to you?"

"He asked whether I'd seen Hans leave the kingdom," he answered. He avoided her eyes as he continued, "That was part of Anna's plan to sneak out of town. I distracted the guards at the gate by saying I'd seen Prince Hans elsewhere. They all went running. There were three of them. But the guard who took me was not one of them."

"This gets more puzzling by the minute," Kristoff commented.

"I believe we were interviewing the castle staff at the time Olaf was abducted," Kai said.

"Yes…" Elsa nodded, then gasped. "…and with Hans and the Duke of Weselton gone, there's no one in the dungeons. Who knows how long it would have been before we found Olaf?"

"But Gyda found me!" Olaf cheered, hoping his smile would ease Elsa's concern.

"Gyda?" Kristoff asked.

"One of my snow angels," Elsa explained quickly.

"Oh, _those_ …"

"That's right… if Olaf had come to me sooner, I wouldn't have wasted time interviewing anyone. I would have searched the forest sooner, possibly found Anna before she went to the trolls."

"So someone wanted Anna gone?" Kristoff asked. "But why? Hans was already out of the picture. I hate to say it, but it wouldn't be his doing. So who?"

"I…" Elsa faltered. "I don't know. You're right, it doesn't make a lot of sense. It would make more sense to want me gone—I'm the queen." The others nodded in agreement.

"Maybe it isn't about Princess Anna," Kai said. "And perhaps they did want you out of the castle, just not soon enough to find your sister."

"But why? No one attacked. Nothing was reported stolen," Elsa said. "No one took over."

"Could it be the Ice Maiden?" Kristoff whispered.

Elsa shook her head. "It just doesn't seem quite her style, putting Olaf in the dungeons. Besides, Olaf said it was a man."

Olaf nodded. He still wasn't sure who this 'Ice Maiden' was, though it sounded like she was bad news. Then, he remembered something Gyda had communicated to him.

"Gyda said that something was wrong inside the castle," Olaf said. He almost regretted saying anything when Elsa's face grew dark.

"Kai," Elsa said, lowering her voice. "Be sure to alert me if you or the servants notice anyone unfamiliar lurking about the castle. Perhaps Weselton left behind a spy."

"Or maybe the Southern Isles sent one," Kristoff suggested.

"I will be vigilant, Your Majesty. You will be the first to know of anyone out of place. But I fear we must be prepared for one other possibility." No one said anything to this. Rather, they waited for Kai to continue. "That is… that the guard in question may not have been one of _your_ guards, but may also not have been a stranger to Arendelle."

* * *

After crossing the bridge, Anna scowled and glanced over her shoulder at the imposing castle structure. The scaffolds made it appear larger than she was used to. She wondered if the outside of the building would look more like home to her after the renovations were completed. Not that she wanted to be stuck in 1749 long enough to find out.

She'd discovered the year from Hans after breakfast. Princess Kirsten had not joined them, sending a servant down to excuse her absence due to poor sleep the previous night. Anna had been hoping to converse with her great-great grandmother again. But now it seemed the princess was avoiding her.

Anna turned, now noticing someone standing in one of the upper floor windows to watch her and Hans as they left the castle. A breeze blew the window curtain in front of them, masking them from view. The curtain grew still after a second, but the person in the window had gone. Anna was sure it was the aloof princess. Kirsten reminded her more of her sister than of the woman their mother had spoken of.

"Are you finished?" Hans asked.

She turned toward him, still trying to get used to him with the crossbow carrier on his back and axe and sword dangling from his belt.

"You grow less and less charming, you know," Anna remarked.

"The sooner we complete this mission, the sooner we can return," Hans answered matter-of-factly. Anna wasn't sure whether he meant their return to the castle or return to 1839. She convinced herself that it was better not to ask.

As they moved through town, they were stopped several times by villagers who wanted the troll hunter's autograph. Each time, Anna rolled her eyes and forced herself to look away for fear that she would blow their cover. It was sickening how the people fawned all over him! But soon Anna discovered that the autographs were just the beginning.

A shopkeeper leapt over his windowsill at her as they entered the market, wiggling two little dolls. One was distinctly in the image of the troll hunter while the other resembled a troll with twigs sticking up out of its back. Anna shook her head, defiantly turning down the merchandise. But as soon as she stepped away from his reach, a woman in a market stall appeared before her, offering wooden axes and swords her children might want to slay pretend trolls.

"I haven't any children, thank you. No, thank you," Anna said, waving the woman away.

"Angel scented candles! Angel scented candles! Keeps the trolls away!" another vendor cried.

Anna sighed in relief that at least one of them appeared to be selling something completely unrelated to Hans the troll hunter. Her relief was short lived, however.

"Hero scented candles! Hero scented candles! Said to smell like the sweat of Hans the troll hunter in battle! Sure to win a lovely lady's heart!" the vendor shouted next.

Anna groaned in disgust. Hadn't Hans only been in this Arendelle a day longer than she had? How could anyone possibly know what his 'sweat' smelled like in battle? _Why would anyone want to make a candle out of it, for that matter?!_

At the sound of Hans's chuckling, Anna slowly turned her head to find him surrounded by a group of doe-eyed young women, all pawing at him. One of them asked to see his muscles. Anna thought of Kristoff and how much _manlier_ he was than the idiot soaking up all this attention. Kristoff would never behave like that. How lucky she was that she'd missed getting hitched with such a ham!

"Brother!" she called, putting on a particularly high-pitched voice. "Shouldn't we be leaving now?"

Hans looked away from his admirers long enough to scowl at Anna.

"We don't want to keep the trolls waiting," she reminded him, making sure to add just enough whine to her voice.

Hans excused himself from the crowd, visibly reluctant as he rejoined Anna and turned his back toward his admirers.

"You enjoyed pulling me away from them a bit much, didn't you?" Hans asked as they neared the edge of town. Anna noted that the west gate had not yet been built. Instead, the town just seemed to dwindle at the middle of the slope up to the forest.

"Hah, not as much as you enjoyed all the ogling," Anna replied.

"Jealous?"

Uncomfortable with the accusation, Anna promptly smacked his arm.

"Hardly. But boy, you sure are famous," she said.

Hans reached into his coat and pulled out a leather-bound book. He flipped it open. Anna assumed he had ignored her comment, but he suddenly started reading off some kind of list.

"The troll of Grimmstad, slain. The wolfman of Tyr, slain. The white horses of Mare, the griffin of Corona, slain. The golem of Glowerhaven, slain. The fairy of Briarwood—"

"Please stop," Anna interrupted, her mouth turned up in disgust.

"It's the troll hunter's log," Hans explained, shutting the book before he put it away.

"He sounds terrible," Anna said.

"You're quick to judge. Terrible or not, he saved my life. The least I can do is to finish what he started here in Arendelle."

Anna did not reply. She didn't know what twisted delusion Hans had concocted up in his head, but it was clear that his motives were selfish whether or not he realized it. She would take him as far as the Valley of Living Rock. Then perhaps she'd find a way to overcome him; she could knock him out with a rock or something, whatever she had to do. When they met the trolls, she'd explain her story and beg them to send her back to their descendants in the future.

But she knew it wouldn't be that simple.

They walked in silence for some time, coming to the crest of the hillside. Here the land evened off into the vast forests. Anna consulted her map once. But the forest road was a little different than she was used to. She wasn't even sure if it was the same road. But she did not tell Hans this.

She gazed at him walking beside her. It only occurred to her now that Hans probably had plans he was hiding from her too. It was tedious, constantly having to be on guard around just one person. Being careful was not a practiced skill of hers.

"See something you like, princess?" Hans grinned at her. Anna jerked her head away, looking elsewhere.

"N-no!" she objected. "I was just thinking… perhaps the real troll hunter is alive. Then what will you do?"

Hans actually laughed. "Did you not hear me when I said we were facing an entire band of trolls? There's no way he slew them all, and certainly no way he could have outrun them."

"O, ye of little faith," she said.

"Ye of too much," Hans countered sharply.

Anna did not press any further. She knew Hans preferred not to think of his savior's survival. After all, what would it mean for him? Hans had stolen the man's identity.

Some minutes later, he called for them to pause at the side of the road. Anna raised her eyebrow.

"We haven't been walking for that long," she said.

"I have business to attend to," he answered, setting down the crossbow carrier. He took a coin pouch and his hunter's log out from his coat, leaving those with the carrier.

"Ugh," Anna said a moment after realizing what 'business' he referred to. "Less and less charming."

Hans smiled over his shoulder as he stepped into the trees off the side of the road. "I do try," he called back to her, disappearing behind a cluster of spruces and bushes.

Anna counted to ten once he left. Then she grabbed the hunter's log and took a seat on a large stone. There she flipped through the log's pages, wondering just how many creatures the troll hunter had slain. If he killed more than trolls, why did Arendelle call him 'troll hunter'?

"I guess just 'the hunter' doesn't have as much of a ring to it," she thought out loud, turning through the pages. She saw several of the creatures Hans had listed off. Each one had a sketched drawing along with the date discovered and date slain. There were also a few facts about all of them; frequented locations, strengths, weaknesses, that sort of thing. It made Anna dizzy.

Then she turned a page to something different. A little more than halfway through, the 'dates slain' were missing. Anna supposed that the creatures without were those not yet defeated by the troll hunter.

"The sea witch of the Southern Isles… the bansidhe of Eryn. The serpent of Crete," she read aloud. When she turned another page, she noticed a page had been torn from the book. Shrugging it off, she flipped ahead a few pages. A folded piece of paper fell from the book. Anna caught it with her free hand and unfolded it. At first she thought it was the missing page. But upon reading, she discovered it was a letter from the real troll hunter's wife. In it, the woman wrote of their children's health, problems with the roof of their home…and longing for her husband.

Anna frowned at her unexpected pity for the troll hunter. When she had spoken of his possibly being alive earlier, she hadn't really believed it. Now she found herself genuinely hoping that he had survived. But what if he hadn't? Would his wife and children ever find out, or would they think they'd just been abandoned?

She herself used to hope that her parents' deaths had been mistaken news. She'd dream of them coming back to Arendelle one day. They would take away Elsa's burdensome crown. They would be a family again.

"What are you doing?"

Anna jumped and rubbed the heel of her hand across her watery eyes. This was no time to get emotional. She looked up at Hans, surprised by the hardness in his eyes.

"I was just looking—"

"Give me that," he snapped, yanking the log book out of her hands.

Anna stood up, balling her fists. "I'm tagging along on this crazy journey. I have a right to any information that may help!"

"Don't meddle. You could have damaged the pages," Hans said, stowing the hunter's log back into his coat.

"What is your problem?!" she yelled.

"I don't have one. I just don't want you to create any," he answered.

Anna opened her mouth to argue, but there was a snarl from the right. A howl sounded off deeper in the forest. Pointy teeth, alert ears, long snouts appeared everywhere. They realized too late that the wolves had crept up on them; now they were surrounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, yes... an obligatory wolf-attack scene. :P Thank you for reading!


	18. A Bloody Trail

Anna stood back-to-back with Hans, counting five, six—no, seven wolves closing in on them. That did not include the distant howls of other pack members deeper in the forest. Were the wolves really so emboldened to venture this close to the road?

"I'll cut through the one blocking the road. Then we'll run," Hans said.

Anna heard him draw his sword. She paled at the thought of fleeing with who knew how many wolves at her back. There was also a chance that the absent pack members could cut them off farther up the road.

"Wait," she said, an idea coming to her. It was just crazy enough for her to think it might work.

Hans choked. "For what?!"

" _Hey, you know_ ," Anna sang. " _Can you feel it in your toes, the things that grow…when the winter goes?_ "

"What are you—"

" _It's true_ ," Anna interrupted, keeping her voice perky in spite of the dangerously nearer proximity of the predators. She swung her satchel out in a half-circle in front of her to dissuade them from coming closer. " _The land is frozen white around you_ —"

"You too," Hans chipped in. The wolves snapped their jaws.

" _But it thaws… into green and blue._ "

Hans rolled his eyes, lunging forward and swiping his sword towards the dark wolf taking up the space between him and the road. The wolf yelped and leapt to the side. Hans grabbed Anna by the hand and hauled her towards the road.

" _The birds_ ," Anna continued. " _Squirrels, foxes, even bears, I'm sure they've heard… nothing quite compares_."

" _To spring? Must you sing? This is not the place or time, I'm sure you know_ ," Hans barked, though with a frown he realized how poorly he had emulated Anna's tune and rhythm.

Neither one dared look behind them, running straight ahead along the road.

" _It was worth a go,"_ Anna answered.

"You're gonna get us killed," he snapped. He pulled so hard on her hand to make her keep up with him that Anna was convinced that her arm would pop off.

Anna peeked over her shoulder. "Hans!"

"What?! Come on!"

"Hans, the wolves."

"Yes, they're going to catch up if you don't hurry!"

Anna peered to her left and then to the right. But the wolves were nowhere. Not behind them, not to the side. Where on earth had they gone?!

"Hans, _stop_!" Anna cried, growing nervous now.

Surprising her, he did stop. She almost fell on her face because of all the momentum, but she steadied herself just in time. A low growl just ahead of her made her look up. Several wolves stalked out into the road, blocking the way.

Hans cursed. "You shouldn't have distracted me with that stupid singing. Now we have no choice."

Anna wondered what he meant by not having any choice. But as her eyes darted around, she saw wolves in the trees off the right of the road. There were a few coming up behind her now too. She gulped and glanced to the left. The trees there looked clear of wolves, but it also looked like the land dropped down into a ravine.

The wolves at the front snarled and suddenly charged at them. Hans let out a fearsome cry. Unlike Anna, his eyes facing the attack ahead did not see the wolves charging in from the right and behind them. Anna dug into her satchel for the knife, but the wolves were already upon them when she grabbed it. She gave up on that and grabbed Hans's arm, hauling him to the left side of the road.

"What—hey, stop!" Hans protested, his being pulled away interfering as he slashed away two wolves that snapped their jaws at his knees. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Running!" Anna yelled, bracing herself as she tugged him down the slope through the trees. Some of the wolves chased a little after them, but many stayed on the road. Anna clung to Hans's coat as she stepped through the snow, trying to keep up the pace without rolling face-first to the bottom. Suddenly her boot stomped down too far through the snow. It must have been slippery dead leaves, she wasn't sure, but she slipped. Squealing at the top of her lungs, Anna grabbed Hans and pulled him down with her as she fell sideways, tumbling down and down. Hans cursed and yelled the entire time—which felt like forever-until they came to a violent stop at the even ground at the bottom.

Anna looked up, watching Hans rub at a scratch on his face from the fall. She was about to apologize but he looked up. Her eyes followed. Wolves stared down at them from the higher ground. It was at least a dozen feet up, but Anna had no doubt the wolves would come down after them. She grabbed Hans again, ready to run. But the wolves suddenly turned away, disappearing from view.

"They're not following," Anna thought out loud. She said it again, now grinning with relief. "They're not following!"

"Don't get too excited," Hans muttered. He looked around them. The ravine stretched on a ways in either direction. He sighed. "There's probably a reason they didn't follow."

Anna gulped. "A reason? What reason?!"

"Where's your map?" he asked, choosing not to explain.

Anna reached into her coat for her satchel only to find it was missing. Her eyes grew wide. She had been swinging it to ward off the wolves. The last time she held it, she'd been digging around for her knife. She looked up at the slope. Could she have dropped it?

"Don't tell me you lost it."

"Be quiet, okay?!"

"You lost it?" he asked, throwing his hands up. "Here I thought you'd be useful, but you've been nothing but trouble. What was all that singing about anyway?"

"It… it worked before, okay?! I scared a wolf off with my singing!"

Hans raised his eyebrow and broke out laughing. "Your singing's not that bad."

Anna narrowed her eyes, giving as little reaction as possible. "Anyway, my satchel's gone, which means the map is gone."

Hans closed his eyes and turned away from her. Anna thought she heard him counting.

"So… what do we do?" she asked. She thought it might be wise for them to turn back, all things considered. They could backtrack along the ravine and climb up cautiously, checking for wolves before they returned to the road. Then they could go back to Arendelle and request a larger party. Horses wouldn't hurt, either. Hans had insisted on traveling by foot so they could hide more easily if necessary.

"We try to reach the saw mill. They may have a map there," Hans decided, already walking.

"Wait, what? We're not going back to the castle?" Anna asked, hurrying behind him.

"I have a reputation to protect."

"Curse your reputation, Hans! It's not even yours!" she retorted. "What about the wolves?!"

"They don't want to come down here, you saw so yourself. So we'll just take the ravine until we find a slope that's easier to climb back up."

* * *

They walked in silence for some time. Hans kept his eyes ahead whereas Anna kept looking over her shoulder and upwards. She didn't trust the wolves not to make a second stealthy attack.

Eventually, Anna asked, "Why are you really doing this?"

"I already explained that. I feel indebted to the real troll hunter," Hans said.

Anna snorted. "Please! Like you'd ever feel morally obligated to do anything."

"Fine. You've got me there. Happy now?" There was an irritated edge to his voice now.

"I just want to understand why you're doing this. I'm here to help… because it's technically my kingdom. I have an actual obligation." But even as she spoke, her mind whispered, _Liar. You just want the trolls to send you home._ She shook the guilt away. She did genuinely want to help King Olaf and Queen Elsebet. She even hoped that there would be another chance for her to speak to Kirsten.

"When I came to this Arendelle and everyone mistook me for the real troll hunter, they all welcomed me as a hero. I hadn't felt that since you left the other Arendelle in my care." He paused to stop her from walking any farther. Then he pointed to the left without having to tell her why. This part of the slope had fewer trees and looked easier to ascend. It was just as well they went up this way. The ravine was starting to curve to the left and would have drawn them away from the road.

Anna nodded and started making her way up behind him, listening. "People… depended on me."

 _I depended on you_ , she thought. But she said nothing.

"I'm not sure how I ended up back in time, but there must be a reason," Hans finished.

"Why aren't you trying to find a way back to our own time instead?"

Hans stiffened as they climbed to the top, where the land leveled off into the road again. They both looked to the left up the road.

Anna gasped and pointed. "Oh! I think that's the path to the sawmill up ahead!" As they came up to it, Anna recognized the trail for sure. She smiled and hoped luck was now on their side. The moment was ruined by the sullen expression on Hans's face. "What is it?"

"Forget it. Let's go," he said, starting to pass around her to take the smaller trail. She grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Why did you do it? I won't ask any other questions. I just want to know why you betrayed me and my sister."

Anna dropped her hand when Hans looked down at his arm in disapproval. But much to her surprise, his eyes softened just a little when he looked at her.

"I know you won't believe this, but I don't really even remember. Everything just sort of escalated after you asked me to kiss you. I knew the kiss wouldn't work."

She took a step back from him, her face hardening. "You didn't even try."

"It wasn't true love. It wasn't even love."

 _'_ _You were so desperate for love_ _, you were willing to marry me, just like that_ ,' he'd said before.

Without a word, Anna sprinted up the trail past him.

She had accepted that it wasn't love. But in that moment in the library with him, she had not known. She had believed her connection with him—the fun, the loneliness, the romance—was genuine. He had treated her so cruelly. Now he claimed not to remember. That it had just… _escalated_ because he knew his game with her would be up when the kiss didn't work? That was no better than if he had planned everything from the start, which he too had claimed at the time.

She thought of Judet again. But there would be no helping Hans. He was evil. The only thing to do was to reveal his wickedness to those who could punish him.

"The mill…" His voice startled her. He'd come up behind her, now pointing across the clearing.

As they rushed closer to investigate, Anna could tell the building had been destroyed. Part of the roof had been torn away. Windows were smashed. Logs lay snapped and jumbled all about the mill yard.

"Hello?!" she called out, hoping no one had been there when it happened. "It looks like a storm blew through it…" She brought one hand up to her mouth as they stepped over the wreckage.

"Keep your voice down. There could be trolls," Hans whispered. He peered into the building through one of the broken windows. "No one in there… but there's blood."

Anna swallowed to keep from whimpering.

"It leads out a door in the back," he said, beckoning her to follow him carefully around the mill. Anna looked all around for any sign of giants or wolves or anything else that might spot them. Then she crept after Hans, keeping low.

The blood did lead out the door in back; it was a lot of blood. There was an entire trail of it leading it into the forest around the creek. Anna gasped and wanted to look away when she realized how far out the blood trail went.

Instead, she said, "We have to follow it." Her eyes lingered on red hand prints smeared all over the wooden steps at the open door.

Hans groaned. "I really don't think that's a good idea."

"If you want to be treated like a hero, you should start acting like one!" she yelled, actually shaking in fury. He was the idiot who decided they would go after the trolls in the first place. Why was he acting like a coward now?

"…fine. But first we check for a map. And this time, I'll hold onto it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Chapter 19 is in the works... :)


	19. The Ice Sculpture

The low crackling of the fire was a comfort as Kristoff pored over the text in front of him. He was glad to have finally secured some time to himself. It was still bewildering to have servants falling over themselves to make sure he was comfortable. It seemed every half-hour, someone knocked at the door to see if he needed anything. So, he had leaped at the opportunity when Kai asked him to take over research in the library. Not that Kristoff knew the first thing about research.

Kai hadn't exactly given him direction. After escorting the ice harvester to the library, Kai merely asked him to read and gleam what he could.

"If you would be so kind, please…read the books on that shelf and see if you can find anything I missed," he'd requested.

Kristoff had nodded dumbly, wondering what he was supposed to look for besides 'ICE MAIDEN' in big bold text. But thus far, he had not come across anything like that. He kept reading for about an hour when he wondered if he should try another book. But then he came to a story about a wicked queen and her mirror.

"I wonder," he muttered. The tale did not reveal how the queen came upon her mirror. But it was clear that the mirror had driven her mad, eventually making her wicked enough to try to murder her stepdaughter. Kristoff shuddered at the thought of any parent trying to harm their child.

Then he recalled the initial reason for the research. It wasn't just for Anna, though he worried for her safety and hoped she would soon be found. But the Ice Maiden had attacked the Valley of Living Rock—his family—for some mirror fragment.

"Kristoff?" Elsa called. The queen stood in the library doorway.

Kristoff jumped up. He'd been so focused that he had not heard the door open.

"Your Majesty!" He greeted her with a bow.

"I didn't mean to startle you," she said, looking around the room. "I expected to find Kai here, but it was you."

Kristoff chuckled. "I think the old man needed a break."

Elsa looked from him to the high pile of books on the end table next to the sofa. "Yes, I see what you mean. Have you had any luck?" She took one of the other chairs and gestured for him take a seat.

"Not yet," he admitted. "There's nothing about an Ice Maiden in anything I've read so far… there's a lot about trolls, though. And merfolk, and a sea witch."

"A sea witch?" Elsa asked.

Kristoff nodded, holding up the chapter about nautical lore. "According to this, she's a bane to both man and the merfolk. Some stories say that the storms at sea are caused by battles between her and the king of the sea." He turned a page to double check the next thing he told her. "Yeah… says the only weapon that works against her is the royal sea scepter."

"It's a shame we're not up against her, seeing as how she has a weakness. Though I'm not sure how we'd find the Sea King to borrow his scepter anyway." Elsa seemed to catch herself suddenly. "I shouldn't laugh. They could be real."

"Will wonders never cease?" Kristoff asked, chuckling.

Elsa nodded at his words but gazed around the library. Her eyes paused at the glowing fireplace. Kristoff watched her sit in deep thought. She looked like she was struggling with something. He wanted to ask about it, but etiquette dictated that he do no such thing.

"I don't understand my sister," she said suddenly, seemingly startled that she had said it aloud.

"That makes two of us," Kristoff said with notably less humor.

"When we…" she began, hesitating. "When we were kids, Anna used to do this all the time—act without thinking about consequences. We were little back then, but I did my best to chide her away from that." She leaned back in her chair and smiled. "Anna hiding her vegetables under the table so she wouldn't have to eat them…Anna cutting up the curtains from the portrait room to make us Roman togas…Anna coming to me to ask for my blessing on her engagement to a prince she _just_ met." Elsa's smile faded immediately.

"She just wants to make things right now," Kristoff said, leaning forward in his seat. The fire dwindled. The room felt colder; he wondered if this was Elsa's unintended impact. He did not like to see the queen looking so forlorn.

"I know."

Kristoff tried to think up something more comforting. But his train of thought was shattered when all of the windows broke in on themselves. Glass flew in all directions. Kristoff dropped his book and ducked for cover on the floor behind the sofa. He was relieved to see Elsa did the same.

Kristoff yelped and tore his hand off of the floor, his skin burning. But it was ice, not flame, that was crystallizing on the floor. Kristoff looked up, watching trails of ice snake from the open window out along the library walls.

"She's here!" Elsa shouted.

Kristoff's ears picked up shouts and clamoring from out in the corridor. He looked to the door and exchanged glances with Elsa. The floor was a solid sheet of ice now. Elsa might cross gracefully, but Kristoff wasn't wearing shoes fit for ice.

Elsa raised her hand towards the door, her eyes narrowing. In an instant, a trail of snow formed beneath them, quickly stretching all the way to the room's exit. It completely covered the ice, making a safer path for Kristoff.

"Come on!" she urged him, grabbing him by the arm.

Together, they ran for the corridor. Neither one dared to look back.

* * *

"No, you have to hold it like this. Otherwise it'll get strange creases."

Olaf tried to copy Sofia as she folded another piece of linen in front of him. This was not the first time he had offered to help a servant with work. He loved learning about life in the castle. Sofia had seemed baffled by his offer at first. Later, she called him 'sweet'.

"Like _this_?" Olaf asked, letting the cloth dangle naturally in half and then folding it inwards toward himself.

"Um… not exactly, but that's fine for now," Sofia answered. She took the piece from him, corrected it and then settled it into the basket of other clean linens. "Your family never taught you to fold?"

"I don't have a family," Olaf explained. Then with a smile, he shook his head. "I have Elsa and Anna and my brother Marshmallow. But not… what are they, parents? Not parents or anything."

Sofia quickly apologized.

"Why?" Olaf asked, tilting his lumpy head.

"Oh… it just seems sad, not to have parents," she explained, picking up the next piece of linen.

Olaf nearly disagreed with her, mostly to ease her guilt. But then he thought for a second. Elsa was his 'creator'. That seemed different than a mother. Did he need a mother? Did _not_ having one make him different in a bad way?

Sofia gasped and dropped the linen.

"What is it?" Olaf asked, reaching to pick it up for her. But when he tried to pull it off of the floor, it stuck. In fact, it had frozen solid to the floor. "Does that usually happen?"

Sofia shook her head. Olaf heard her teeth chatter. When he started to ask if she was feeling all right, a strange noise filled the air. Olaf turned and saw the windows behind him burst to pieces, glass shards showering down. Sofia screamed and grabbed Olaf, ducking with him close.

"Come on!" Olaf yelped, wiggling towards the door and frantically beckoning her behind him. "We have to find the queen!"

He glanced back toward the windows with Sofia. Blue-white hands gripped the now empty window frames. Several ice maidens slowly crawled in from outside.

Olaf just stared at first. He tried to sense out the same familiarity he had felt in Gyda. But it just wasn't there. These creatures were no siblings of his.

Sofia's shrieking finally roused him into running out of the laundry room with her. He led her to the staircase. When he last saw Elsa, she had been on her way to her chambers after dinner. Olaf hoped to find her there before the ice maidens caught up to him.

They nearly reached the top landing when the Ice Maiden cut them off. Olaf stopped short with Sofia bumping into him. He almost fell forward, but he caught himself. He slowly looked up at the creature staring down cruelly from the top of the stairs. If he had a mother, Olaf knew he would be crying for her at that very moment. He thought for sure the Ice Maiden was going to fly down upon them, but instead she turned away, zipping at wind speed into the upstairs hall.

Sofia whimpered in relief and leaned down to put a hand on Olaf's shoulder. "We-we should hide," she said.

"You should," he agreed. "I need to find the queen. She may need help!"

"Are you sure?" Sofia frowned.

"Yes. Don't worry!"

Sofia nodded, wishing him luck before she sprinted down the stairs. Olaf watched her head to the servant's stairs. They would lead down to the safety in the kitchens. If need be, Sofia could find passage out of the castle through there.

Now determined, Olaf trekked up the remaining stairs and into corridor above. Hearing Elsa's shout ahead, Olaf hastened around a corner to the left connecting the first corridor to another one where one wing was comprised of guest rooms while the other made up the royal chambers. Olaf stopped in his tracks, seeing the Ice Maiden ahead of him. Kristoff and Elsa stood a ways to the right, blocking her path to the guest wing. Kai rushed up between the pair with a torch in his hands; he stepped in front of Elsa, waving the flame in front of him.

Olaf made to run past the Ice Maiden without her noticing. But two cool hands reached down and lifted him. Olaf yelped, wriggling and insisting he be let down. He looked back and saw that it was Gyda holding him. She shook her head.

"I know you just want to protect me, but I need to help them!"

Olaf almost missed what happened next, but he saw Gyda's head jerk up towards the others. Olaf looked as well. His eyes grew wide as the Ice Maiden pummeled magic at his friends. Kristoff dove on his side to push Elsa out of harm's way. The two of them fell to the floor. But Kai had not been so lucky.

Elsa's agonized scream filled the hallways then. Kai stood in exactly the same spot as before, but now he stood as a frozen ice sculpture.

"No…" Olaf whispered, watching Elsa leap up to go to her loyal servant.

The queen began muttering wildly, commanding herself to thaw Kai. She lifted her hands and gestured, but to no desired result. Kristoff drew her against one wall and shielded her as the Ice Maiden suddenly approached.

Olaf held his breath, watching. He expected the Ice Maiden to turn her magic against Kristoff next. But instead, the creature passed both the ice harvester and the queen, apparently uninterested in them.

The Ice Maiden went into the guest wing. Her head turned one way and then paused before she slowly looked in the other direction. Two doors down, she stopped and reached for the door handle. With one powerful gust of magic, she knocked the door away from its hinges and looked into the room.

The Ice Maiden paused, looking all about the space within without entering. It seemed she did not find what she was seeking, for she moved on, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Gyda finally set Olaf back on the floor. She followed when he ran to his friends.

Kristoff sank into a relieved heap on his knees, letting out a shaky sigh.

Elsa faced away from everyone with her forehead against the wall. Olaf was sure she was weeping. She made not a sound, but her shoulders shook. He skittered up to her and gave her a hug.

Kristoff cleared his throat and stood, somewhat recovered from his near-frozen experience. "Your Majesty… you need to do something, or he'll melt…" he said in a low voice, nodding towards Kai.

Elsa peered over her shoulder, wiping one side of her face before she faced them all. Then she raised one hand to create a cool barrier around Kai to keep him safe from the heat. When it was done, she looked to Gyda. "Please," she said. "Move him out of the hall, someplace out of sight."

Gyda nodded, gently lifting the ice sculpture to move him. Although Elsa had commanded it, it broke her to see Kai removed like that.

"Someone will have to tell Gerda," the queen said, her voice wavering. "I tried to thaw him. But for Anna, it took an act of true love. Maybe Gerda can—"

Olaf watched as Kristoff stepped in to squeeze Elsa into a hug. "Yes," the ice harvester agreed. Suddenly looking uncertain, Kristoff released her and took a wide step away. "I mean, yes, Your Majesty. If anyone can thaw him, it'll be Gerda."

Elsa sniffed, wiping at her eyes now. "I think the Ice Maiden was blocking my powers somehow," she murmured. "I tried to use them against her, but I couldn't do anything."

"It's not your fault," Olaf said, sad to see Elsa so defeated.

Elsa smiled for him, but she didn't look convinced. Frowning, she looked off towards the guest wing. "That room…"

The others looked down the corridor to where the Ice Maiden had stopped to search.

"She was looking for something," Kristoff said.

"That room," Elsa repeated. "That was where Prince Hans stayed during the coronation."


	20. The Singing Rocks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a much belated update. I have been so busy! Thank you for your patience. I'm actually breaking chapter twenty down into twenty and twenty-one just so that I can update. Oh, a couple of things...
> 
> This story's Sofia is not Disney's Sofia the First. She's just a servant.
> 
> There's another song in this chapter. I just italicized all the singing parts. Thanks for reading!

Anna stopped walking every time she turned to check for wolves through the trees; it was so she would not accidentally step in the blood on the ground. She and Hans had followed the bloody trail deep into the forest, far from any distinct trails and civilization. More than once she spoke; it wasn't to Hans—he did not answer anyway—but to herself. The silence was uncomfortable.

The red was not as thick on the ground as it'd been by the mill. But it was still enough to track.

"We may well be following a dead man," Hans commented.

Anna ignored the thought that he could be right. "In our time, there are no violent trolls… something must have happened to them," she said.

"Maybe they were killed off for causing all this trouble."

"By _you_ , I suppose?" she scoffed. Hans made a remark about flattery, but she didn't fully catch it. When she took her next step, it was as if one giant cloud rolled over the sunlit sky above. Anna looked up to see the night.

"What…?" Hans stopped short too, looking up in puzzlement. "What kind of magic is this?" He reached for the axe at his belt, but Anna lightly touched his arm.

"No, it's okay… I know where we are," she said. Hans did not look reassured by that, but he gestured for Anna to take the lead.

A hundred thoughts competed in Anna's mind as she continued following the line of blood. It grew much thinner now, merely sporadic clusters of dark droplets on the leafy ground. Up ahead, Anna could make out an end to the trees.

"This way!" she called over her shoulders before she ran ahead.

"Anna, wait!"

No, she would not wait. The injured mill worker had somehow led them to the Valley of Living Rock. A hopeful picture filled her head now: a man escaped the attack on the saw mill and crawled into the forest to hide. There one of the trolls _she_ knew came upon him to help.

Anna dashed into the valley and whirled around in a circle. Yes, this was the place! There was twilight above and earth all around her.

"Hello!" she called, eyeing several still rocks speckled across the land.

"There's no one here," Hans said as he came up behind her.

"Shh!" Anna hushed him. She pointed at the small, still boulders lying everywhere.

"Are you…afraid I'll wake the rocks?" Hans asked, not amused.

Anna scowled. "You heard when I called this place the Valley of Living Rock, didn't you?!"

"Yes. But these rocks don't look too lively."

"They're probably just scared," Anna explained. She cleared her throat once and raised her voice. "My name is Anna… and that's Hans. Please don't listen to anything he says; he's very rude."

"Hey!"

"We've come on behalf of Arendelle to ask for your help," she went on, unsure of what to make of the prince's frown. She hesitated. What else should she say?

"They don't seem interested," Hans commented. He had a point though. Not one of the rocks stirred.

Anna thought quickly. The trolls of 1749 did not know her. How could she get them to trust her? Memories of meeting with Kristoff's family came to mind. They liked…song. Anna grinned.

"What's the matter with you?" Hans asked when he saw her smile.

" _We've come a long, long way just to meet you. Farther than you'd think. I hope you like the way we greet you. This little song should help your shyness shrink."_

Hans actually cringed. "That's worse than the last song."

" _My name is Princess Anna. I like chocolate, sleep and snow. I come from Arendelle, though it is not the one you know…"_

" _Not the one we know?"_ one of the little boulders sang back, wriggling on the ground until it took the appearance of a young troll. Anna's grin grew bigger when she heard Hans's startled yelp as the whole valley came to life. One by one, each rock shook itself to life. Little trolls now stood in place of what had been still groups of rocks.

Anna threw her arms out for effect. " _Imagine… far away!"_

"How far?" the baby trolls cheered.

" _Years from now!"_

"Did she say years?"

" _We will sing… together."_

" _Really?! Wow!"_ the older troll children chimed in.

Then one of the tiniest trolls stepped into the spotlight. She had a cluster of dandelions on her head. " _But papa says don't ever trust a human. They lie, destroy and cheat."_

Another sang, " _And mama said all humans want to eat you. So do not speak to any you might meet. Eek!"_ The troll covered his mouth when he realized they were ALL speaking to the two strange humans who had trespassed.

Anna jumped, startled when Hans joined in singing next. " _Here's one thing to reassure you. I like salmon and hard rolls. I have never had the taste for eating any sort of trolls."_ He was singing on-key this time, much to Anna's amusement.

The young trolls whispered excitedly among each other for a second. When it seemed they had all reached one unified conclusion, they all jumped and danced, forming a circle around Anna and Hans.

" _Imagine… far away! Years from here! Together, we will sing, dance and cheer!"_ they all sang, closing in with their hands clasped and raised before they skipped backwards and went back to circling the center two.

" _What did they mean by years from here? Will we meet them again?"_ one sang.

Two trolls had somehow managed to climb up Hans's legs and back. One now sat on his shoulder, poking and lightly pulling at his copper hair. The other clung to Hans's belt, eyeing all the weapons the man had equipped.

" _Are you some kind of hero? You have so many weapons!"_

"As a matter of fact," Hans began to answer, but was cut short by Anna's sudden coughing fit and the emphatic shaking of her head. " _They're just for self-defense from things that hunt here in these woods. And though you want to touch them—"_ Hans paused to pick the trolls off of him and set them gently on the ground. " _Doesn't really mean you shoulds."_

Anna snorted and turned away to laugh in a way that Hans wouldn't notice. She giggled so hard that her shoulders shook.

"… _should_ ," Hans corrected himself.

Anna suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder turning her about. The movement put her face-to-face with Hans, who took one of her hands into his. Anna's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she felt his other hand settle on her waist. The trolls cheered and started singing again.

" _Imagine far from now… years from today."_ Hans sang with them as he led Anna in a casual dance at the center of the circle of trolls.

"What?" Anna said, glancing down at their hands touching.

" _Together, you and I… dancing away._ " He lifted his arm to guide Anna under his, keeping his hand centered above her as she twirled instinctively.

"Damn!" she hissed, glaring at him as he moved to face her at the end of her twirl. Then he lowered his arm and drew her in.

" _It seems the stories about people are not all true. Falser than you'd know. We really liked to sing and dance with you. But now you should probably go._ "

This made Anna and Hans pause. They looked away from each other as the circle of trolls disbanded. Anna finally snapped back into reality and broke away from her dance partner. Forgetting him for the moment, she watched the retreating trolls. For the first time, she realized that there were no adults among them. They were all young trolls.

"Wait!" Anna called, running after the nearest trio of them.

The largest of the three turned around and eyed Anna warily. Anna was taken aback by the mistrustful eyes. Hadn't they all just been singing and dancing?

"Did any injured person happen to come here? We saw a lot of blood in the woods."

The troll's gaze changed to confusion. Then the mist seemed to clear. "Oh! That was Pabbie. He got hurt when he went to the mill to warn the workers." Immediately after he said that, the little troll clapped his hand over his mouth.

"Did you just say Pabbie?" Anna asked. "Wait, what? He went to warn the mill workers?!"

The young troll groaned. "If you want, you can ask him yourself… he's resting in the caves."

Up to this point, the trolls' two companions waited a couple of feet away, intently watching the conversation their friend was having with the humans. At this point, however, one of them interrupted. "Hilco! They should leave before your father gets back!"

The troll named Hilco glanced back at his friends and shrugged.

"Wait," Anna said. "It's important that I speak with Pabbie. Can you please take us to him?"

"Who's Pabbie?" Hans asked. Anna ignored him, staring down at Hilco with all the pleading her eyes could muster.

Hilco let out a sigh. "All right, but we need to hurry. Follow me." He beckoned them and turned toward the caves.


	21. The Crystal Caverns

Moonlight pooled in through the cavern entrance and glittered off amethysts in the walls. Anna followed close behind Hilco, careful not to trample over him in her eagerness. She sensed Hans trudging along behind her, but his irritation didn't concern her right now. If the Pabbie of the past was the Grand Pabbie she knew from her own time, he would surely be able to help her.

Hilco turned left and stopped short. He made sure both humans had followed him to this point before he led them into a separate cave in which Anna could not even see a ceiling. Glowing fire crystals took up several spots along the walls, providing light to what appeared to be a massive shared bedroom. There were several rows of long rocks sticking up out of the floor. Atop each of these were thick layers of moss that looked gross at first, but oddly comfortable. These 'beds' were empty save for one in the far left corner of the room.

Hilco tiptoed up to the lone occupied bed and gently tried to rouse the troll resting there. "Sorry, I know you're sleeping, but you have visitors," he whispered.

"Ahh… I can't right now… I need to rest. We'll play later," Pabbie answered, trailing off into a snore. He turned over on his side with his back to the visitors.

"I'm not here to play. There are two people here to see you!" Hilco explained, shaking Pabbie by the shoulder.

Pabbie instantly shot upwards, sitting upright. He turned to the two humans and snarled.

" _That_ woke him up," Hans mumbled.

Anna gaped at the messy bandaging around Pabbie's abdomen. There was one small spot of pink, but it otherwise looked like his bleeding had stopped. "Grand Pabbie?! It's me, Anna! You won't know me yet, but…"

As Anna went on to vocalize the complications of time travel, Pabbie hopped out of the bed. His outline twitched and blurred as he started to grow…and _grow_. Seconds later, he stood towering over the three of them, completely transformed into a Stallo with gnarly trees sticking out of his shoulders. Anna stopped mid-sentence and stared in horror at the angry giant before her.

Hilco squeaked and jumped up and down, waving his arms to draw Pabbie's attention. "They're not here to hurt anyone! They just want to talk to you!"

"Talk?" Pabbie said, his voice like rocks. The trees sticking out of him receded as he gradually shrank back to his smaller form. He climbed back up onto the bed but remained standing so that he was at eye-level with Hans, who just gaped wide-eyed like he'd just sat on a pine cone.

"So…" Hans said, clearing his throat as he regained his composure. "Your trolls and the trolls that have been attacking people are one and the same."

"We haven't attacked anyone!" Pabbie snapped. "The people of Arendelle are the ones destroying our forest!"

"Wait… what?" Anna said, holding her hand up to stop Hans from antagonizing the troll further. She was not up to the task of facing Pabbie as a Stallo again. She thought about what she knew, or what she thought she knew. The trolls had blocked passage between Arendelle and northern territories, but for how long? King Olaf and Queen Elsebet had sent for a renowned troll hunter who'd sacrificed himself to save Hans, whom she had accidentally punched into the past. But how was any of it connected?

"What happened to all the mill workers?" she asked Pabbie, careful with her tone.

Pabbie's face grew dark. "Hilco, you should leave."

The young troll groaned in defiance. "But I want to hear this. I've never seen a human before today!"

"I said you should _leave_."

Anna looked between the two. Pabbie was obviously older than Hilco, but still very young; perhaps he was a teenager in the 1700s. Anna did not let herself get distracted by the aging process for trolls. But she did notice she could see a little of Pabbie's future self in him. But his eyes were the youngest part of him now. In the future, Grand Pabbie's eyes—kind eyes—had lost that youth.

Hilco whirled around and stomped out of what Anna now decided was a recuperating cave.

Once Hilco was gone, Hans spoke again. "Is there something you didn't want him to hear?"

"There is one among us," Pabbie began, pausing to adjust the bandaging. "Who would harm humans, even though it is not in our nature to injure and kill… the guise you saw a moment ago is only meant for self-defense. Every creature needs to be able to defend itself."

Anna nodded.

"But… our leader Volco has had a change of heart after seeing what humans are capable of. He was going to raid the mill and kill every human he found there. As a sort of example."

"And you went to warn them," Anna said.

Pabbie glanced at her in surprise when he nodded. "But they thought I was there to attack, and they struck me with their axes. By night, we are very strong in our larger forms. But it was morning, and I was not strong enough. I knew the millmen would not flee in time unless I scared them, so I destroyed the place. That scared them off. Then I ran home before Volco and his party would find me."

"That was very brave of you," Anna said. She could barely imagine what it was like to be attacked by those whom one risked so much to help. "What would this Volco do if he knew what you'd done?"

Pabbie gave them a bitter smile. "Long ago, he never would have thought of violence. Now? I'm not sure what he'd to do me for interfering."

"There's a blood trail leading right back to this valley," Hans said flatly. "He's going to know."

"Hans!" Anna hissed.

"What he says is true," Pabbie said. "Which is why you should go. Volco's party will return soon, and if he finds humans, it will look like I brought you here. I won't be able to help you."

"Wait!" Anna interjected, recalling the trolls' mirror. This was possibly her only shot at getting back home. "I'm looking for a magic mirror. I've heard that the trolls have something like one. We're not supposed to be here, and only a mirror like that can send us home. Do you have anything like that here?"

Pabbie's brow wrinkled at Anna's question. "I have heard of truth mirrors. In fact, Volco once went on a quest for one rumored to be in another kingdom. That was some time ago. Volco returned changed, but empty-handed. I assumed he had too many bad encounters with humans while on his quest, for that was right about the time he began to hate them."

Anna held her breath, waiting for Pabbie to tell her more.

"But I've never seen such a mirror," Pabbie finished.

Anna sighed, disheartened.

Pabbie hopped off of the mossy bed and looked from Anna to Hans. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. You should leave before Volco and the others return." He hurried past them toward the exit. "Quickly!"

* * *

Outside, they were greeted by some of the younger trolls. Two held out a flower crown each for Anna and Hans.

"Thanks for coming! You're not as big and scary as the stories say," the one handing a crown to Hans said.

Hans put the crown on his head before he squatted down with a stern face. "Now see here… I happen to be very big and scary!" The children laughed and pulled at his face, stretching Hans's cheeks. A third troll scampered up and began playing with Hans's hair, seemingly intrigued by the copper color.

As Anna watched all of this, she felt strange. She was reminded of the prince she first met at the docks; how sweet and awkward their encounter had been. She also recalled the Hans she'd left to take care of Arendelle. It seemed that there were too many sides to him. There was actually a gentleness in his face here in the Valley of Living Rock as he let the young trolls poke and adore him. One of them stole his flower crown to put on their own head. Hans pretended to be very distraught by that. He was not at all like the Hans who'd smiled at her when he was certain she would freeze to death. _That_ Hans was comprised of cruelty and manipulation. Anna glared at him now for behaving like a 'normal' adult who humors children.

Suddenly a horn sounded out from the forest. The young trolls' heads snapped back toward the trees.

"Volco is coming back!" one said. Instantly, they all scattered off into different directions, some yelling out about chores.

Pabbie, now pale, hurried Hans and Anna back into the caves. "There's no time. You'll have to go this way." Anna and Hans exchanged concerned glances but followed him.

This time they walked past the opening that led into the recuperation cavern. Pabbie took them around several corners until they came to a fork of three different tunnels. The one on the left was lit by green, glowing crystals. The middle tunnel was pitch black. The tunnel on the right glowed bright with light blue crystals. Pabbie gestured toward the three entrances and told Anna to choose one. "They all empty out into different parts of the forest. I'll give you ten seconds. Then I'll close all three tunnels to throw him off," he said, turning away so as not to see which way they'd go.

Anna glanced at three boulders resting against the far left wall. She wondered if Pabbie would even be able to move them by himself. Anna started toward the blue-lit passage, but Hans grabbed her and dragged her into the pitch-black one. Fortunately the light from behind them lit the way a little.

"What are you, crazy?!" she asked as he broke into a run with her in tow. Seconds later, Anna heard the sound of the entrance being sealed off behind them. Now Anna could not see where she was going. Fearful of tripping, she came to a forceful stop and pulled back as Hans's momentum kept him in motion for a couple of steps.

"Why this way?!" she protested.

"Because if we're followed, we won't be found as easily!" Hans answered.

Anna shivered, realizing now that she could not see _him_ made her feel uneasy.

"I guess that makes sense…" she admitted.

Without warning, he pushed her up against the cold, hard cave wall. Anna yelped and dropped her flower crown when the back of her head hit the wall. If he had pushed her with any more force, it would have hurt. Her heart yammered a warning in her chest as Hans held her in place.

"What was all that about a mirror?!" he demanded.

"What?"

"Why didn't you mention it sooner?! You just kept it to yourself!"

He was close enough in the darkness that she could feel his breath on her face. Gradually dizzying, she tried to wriggle away to the side, afraid of him for the first time since he tried to kill Elsa. Somehow not being able to see him made him more frightening.

"That's just how the trolls were able to send me to you… they used some kind of magic mirror," she explained. His fingers digging into her arm started to sting. "Let go. You're hurting me!"

She was released abruptly. Anna felt Hans back away as she rubbed at the sore spots on her arms and glared into the darkness. That's right. She kept the part about the mirror from him because he didn't seem to want to go home. She hadn't quite expected this reaction though.

"Don't keep things from me," he said quietly.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, thinking of everything he had kept from her.

"Please," he added. Anna was sure she heard confusion in his voice.

"Fine, but from now on you have to do the same. Crystal clear. No hidden agendas," Anna bargained. She knew even if he agreed to this, she would have to take it with a grain of salt.

"Fine," he agreed. Then, she felt his hand search hers out.

"Fine?" she asked, completely bewildered as his fingers closed over hers.

"We're in this together now. We have to trust one another."

 _Oh, sure. Trust_ , she thought wryly. She moved along with him as he started to walk again. "Speaking of which… what are you planning now?"

"Hm?"

"The trolls. They're not wreaking havoc for no reason. We understand them now. They may have a leader whose methods are violent, but there are trolls like Pabbie and the children who wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I know…"

"Don't tell me you want to slaughter them all."

"Of course not," Hans snapped. "But it's complicated now. We have the King of Arendelle who hates trolls."

"And a troll leader who hates humans," Anna added.

"Two societies who know nothing about the other," Hans continued, impressing Anna by looking at it that way. Perhaps there was a shred of decency in him after all.

"But there's something bothering me," Anna admitted.

"What?"

"Why are we holding hands?" she asked.

Hans let go. "Better?"

Her hand grew cold almost at once, and she wondered at that. She was about to make a sarcastic response when the entire cave shook, making her almost fall over.

"I'm guessing that's Volco. We should run," Hans said, grabbing her hand yet again and sprinting ahead.

"Be careful! I can't see!" Anna whined, terrified as she could feel and hear the cavern trembling all around her. Rocks groaned everywhere, but she could barely see them!

"Neither can I!"

Now the cave shook with the distinct stomps of footsteps far behind them.

"What's that up ahead?" Anna asked, seeing they were coming up fast to a soft white glow.

It was a bright dead-end with a pit in the ground. The light came from shining white crystals sticking out of the earth that made up a hole in the ground. Below was some sort of running stream. The trembling of the cave worsened. Anna's bones could feel each of the troll's steps.

"We have to," Hans said, gazing down at the water. It looked like a ten foot drop.

"We don't know where it goes! We don't even know if there's space for breathing!"

"Do you want to wait around to ask Volco?" he asked.

A furious roar filled the entire tunnel and their ears. Hans grabbed Anna and pulled her close.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled.

"Being heroic," he answered. Then he jumped down into the crystal pit, taking her with him.

They plunged into the cold, running water. It struck Anna like pins and needles as she quickly struggled to surface. She felt for Hans as her head came up. She thought she could see a shadow looming above the pit, but the water quickly pulled her out of sight and into the currents of a rushing subterranean river before she could tell if she'd been seen.


	22. A Haunting Question

Kristoff and Olaf dove out of the way as Elsa charged through them, her wintry eyes staring down the corridor the Ice Maiden had disappeared from. Her fingers twitched at her sides as threat after threat poured out of her mouth.

"Whoa, whoa!" Olaf yelled, scampering after the queen. "Elsa, wait for us!"

But she didn't hear him. In fact, the change in her occurred so suddenly, she seemed like a different person. One moment, she wept for Kai. The next, the entire wing frosted over and her eyes were ablaze in fury. Not that any of them could blame her!

"Y-y-y-your M-m-majesty!" Kristoff yelled, his teeth chattering already. He rubbed his hands together for warmth as he joined Olaf in going after her. "You're k-k-kkillin' us here!" Then he glanced at Olaf. "S-s-some of us, a-a-anyway!"

Elsa stopped short and whipped around, making Olaf and Kristoff both recoil when her fierce eyes laid upon them. "I have to do something! I can't let her get away with this!" The floor and walls began to thaw. Kristoff let out a short sigh.

"I couldn't agree more. I just don't think charging after her is going to help. She's gone," Kristoff said, sad to be the bearer of the painfully obvious. He knew how stressed she had to be. First there was Hans, then Anna, _then_ the Southern Isles and now the Ice Maiden's attack. If it had been him, he would have snapped much sooner.

In an uncertain attempt to be helpful, Olaf added, "He has a point, you know."

"I know that! But I have to go after her!"

"You don't even know where to find her," Kristoff reminded her.

"Then what am I supposed to do?!"

Kristoff was taken aback by the question. He started to answer right away but trailed off almost at once. Then he looked at the queen trembling before him. He realized then that it was probably taking all her strength to keep herself from just turning everything to ice and snow. Of course she wanted vengeance on the Ice Maiden. But they knew nothing about her; they knew no weaknesses, no strengths. It would be foolhardy for Elsa to fly out into the night after an enemy they knew nothing about, especially since Elsa had apparently been unable to use her magic against her.

"Well?!" Elsa snapped.

Kristoff cringed. He really didn't have an answer for her—at least, not one that she wanted to hear. Elsa opened her mouth to say more, but she held back, gazing guiltily down at the floor. Without another word, she turned away from them both, rushing in the direction of her own chambers.

* * *

Hours later, Kristoff brought Sven some dinner and he still felt like kicking himself. First he regaled Sven with news of the attack on the trolls. Then he described that night's attack at the castle. "I mean," he said as he held out another handful of grasses. Sven gently nibbled the food from Kristoff's palm, careful not to bite the man. "What was I thinking? Who am I to interfere?" Sven swallowed and backed up into the stall so he could look _and_ listen. Most people would have stopped by now and wondered how much the reindeer actually understood, but not Kristoff.

"The queen is a grown…woman," Kristoff went on, verbally stumbling over the word chosen over 'adult'. "She has magic! She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself."

"You were only trying to help!" he Sven-voiced a response from the reindeer. Sven bobbed his head toward him and licked Kristoff's cheek.

"Yuck! What'd we say about licking immediately after meals?" Kristoff chuckled over the endearing gesture even as he wiped the Sven-slobber off his face. His amusement waned when he thought back to earlier in the evening. "I just… I just want to be helpful." Sven snorted and hawed at him. "I know I've been helpful. But it's not enough. I want Anna to be found, I want that idiot prince to be arrested and I want Elsa to smile again."

The moment he said it, an uncomfortable feeling settled into his stomach. What did that mean, that he wanted to see the queen smile? Of course it meant he was a loyal citizen. As Anna's sister, the queen was someone whose well-being mattered to him. He had known her but briefly, but long enough to be sure he liked her as a person.

"So what's this feeling?" he asked himself. He thought of all the odd foods he'd consumed over the past couple of days. He was used to simpler fare. It had to be that.

Sven knocked his hoof against the stall, drawing Kristoff's attention. "Why don't we just go track the Ice Maiden together?" Sven asked. Really, it was Kristoff asking himself. He shuddered at the prospect of another adventure so soon. On the other hand…

He grinned at his furry friend and gave Sven an affectionate rub under the chin. "You and me out in the wilderness on a wild goose chase? The Ice Maiden has magic."

"There was magic last time," he pointed out in Sven's voice.

"Also true…"

"Do you want to stay cooped up in the castle?"

Kristoff already knew the answer to that. He'd gotten so little sleep since the Great Thaw. His bed was just too…soft. When he did finally fall asleep at night in the guest room, he kept having nightmares about waking up in the clouds and promptly falling out of the sky, plummeting to certain death. It just wasn't possible to have a good night's sleep without some sharp twig or pebble digging into his back.

Then there was the food. His face scrunched up just thinking about all the different courses and utensils, half of which he didn't understand. Why did he need more than one spoon or fork? Why did the servants remove his plate after each course? Wasn't that wasteful?

Kristoff scowled. No matter how trying any of that was, the worst part was feeling useless. He hadn't even been able to dive into his new responsibilities as the kingdom's official Ice Master and Deliverer. Heck, he had not even had time to think about it. The closest he'd gotten was deciding to ask Jan, another ice harvester he was acquainted with, to be his assistant.

"All right, you have a point," Kristoff admitted. Sven snorted in reply.

Kristoff looked around at the few lanterns lighting the stables, thinking of the supplies they would need. "I'll pack. We'll leave before light. I'll have to leave a note for the queen…"

That strange, unidentifiable feeling returned to Kristoff's stomach. Truth be told, he felt guilty about leaving the queen alone in the middle of everything, especially with what had just happened to her man servant. Whether that was all he felt, he didn't know.

"Get some sleep. I'll be back when it's time to leave!"

* * *

It was like looking at Anna frozen on the fjord almost. The statue resembled Kai but was absent of color and emotion aside from fear. His arms were even held up in defense as Anna's had been. Usually Elsa was impervious to the cold, but gazing at the ice sculpture of Kai gave her chills.

Gerda sniffed beside her. "Ohh, Kai… what have you gotten yourself into, you old fool…"

Elsa glanced at Gerda from the corner of her eye, crushed to see Gerda this way. The two had been together all her life. It was tough to see the one without the other.

"Gerda…" Elsa began, finally finding the strength to speak. "I am so sorry that this happened." She turned toward the older woman and collected Gerda's hands into her own. "I feel partly responsible because Kai was trying to protect me."

"Oh, child," Gerda said, squeezing Elsa's two hands as tears dripped down her cheeks. "I would have done the same."

Elsa dropped her eyes in discomfort. Seeing others cry was one thing; that she wasn't used to. But Gerda's words nearly brought Elsa tears of her own. A moment passed before Elsa was able to look Gerda in the eye again.

"I want you to know I will do whatever it takes to remedy his… condition," Elsa said at last. "I swear to you."

Gerda gave Elsa's hands a final squeeze before she gently let go. "I know, Your Majesty…" Now Gerda looked away, turning to collect herself. "I must excuse myself… I can't keep looking at him like that."

"Yes, of course. Please," Elsa answered, nodding. At that, Gerda bowed and saw herself out of the spare room, leaving Elsa to contemplate the ice sculpture.

It wasn't as simple as Anna's case, which had not been simple either. With Kai frozen, how could Gerda perform an act of true love for his sake? She couldn't, or at least no one had thought of a way yet.

Elsa forced herself to look at the terror trapped on Kai's face. She didn't want to admit it, but the Ice Maiden had frightened her too. It wasn't the woman herself that was frightening; it was her power so like Elsa's own power, but stronger.

Ever since she met the trolls of the Valley of Living Rock, a question had been forming at the back of her head. She thought of the troll leader—Grand Pabbie?—and his explanation of power; there was evidently a difference between those who were born with it and those who came into it. In spite of what he'd said, Elsa thought of the determined cruelty of the Ice Maiden. She had come to Arendelle Castle with _some_ purpose, executed an assault for that end without even blinking and froze a man for standing up to her.

No matter what Grand Pabbie said, the question haunted Elsa. She whispered it to Kai.

"Is she what I might become?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually ended on a different note than originally planned (Lord Harald was supposed to show up, but now he'll just show up next chapter). I don't want Elsa to experience the same fear of her powers that she did in the movie. However, I will be exploring the origin of her powers later on. Now that Elsa has seen someone with powers very like her own—someone seemingly wicked—I think it's natural for her to have concerns.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please review if you're enjoying the story. :)


	23. The Chalk Cliffs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a decidedly more adult tone to it, just a head's up. It features one darker dream scene where a minor character is so overcome by grief that he has suicidal thoughts and intentions. I thought I should put this warning here. Read on at your own risk. If you want to skip that section, it's the second scene. Also, one scene with nudity; it won't get gratuitous, don't worry (or possibly sorry to anyone expecting otherwise!).

The spare room had once been a guest suite like the others in its wing. Elsa and Anna's grandparents had been the ones to convert it to an extra storage space of sorts. Elsa could not bear the thought of Kai being kept in the _actual_ storage spaces outside of the main castle. She didn't want him kept in the open either; that was both for his own safety and for fear that his current state could cause a panic.

The queen added reinforcements to her spell to ensure the ice sculpture would not melt; it was mid-summer after all, and Elsa had no idea whether the Ice Maiden had the forethought to include such protection from heat in her curse.

As Elsa left the room, she grimaced at herself for thinking of the Ice Maiden yet again. Again, the troll leader's words came to her.

_Someone cursed with power, however, is indeed cursed. The longer the curse remains, the more their power feeds on them until nothing is left of the original person._

The queen shut the spare room door. Since she did not have the key—and did not want to bother Gerda this evening—she quickly crafted one from ice and locked the door behind her.

"Your Majesty?" Lord Harald called from up the corridor. Elsa dropped the key in being startled.

"Lord Harald," she greeted him, masking her surprise. It was late in the evening. She thought for sure Lord Harald would have retired to his room by now.

"My apologies," he said. He bowed as he approached. "I can see now that I've startled you."

"Not at all," Elsa lied. Although she was still grateful for his assistance in composing the response to the Southern Isles, something about him still made her uneasy. She studied him as he stood up straight before her. The fact that he met her gaze so easily unnerved her, for all she wanted to do was avert her eyes.

"I made sure the letter got out this morning," Lord Harald said.

Her forehead wrinkled. "To the Southern Isles? I thought I had given that to Kai," Elsa answered.

Lord Harald let out a short chuckle. "The poor man forgot to get it out in the post this morning. He was so wrapped up in…research, I believe he said. I went down to the docks myself to make sure it made it on the correct ship."

Elsa felt herself grow pale. She had forgotten that Lord Harald was not aware of the Ice Maiden. "Thank you," she said carefully. It was a good thing he got the letter out, she thought to herself. The attack on the castle had been quite the distraction.

Why would Lord Harald have gone to deliver the message to the docks himself? He could have easily given it to one of the servants. She supposed that it being as important and time-sensitive as it was, he just wanted to make sure it went to the right place.

"About this evening's attack," Lord Harald changed the subject. Elsa vaguely wondered if he could read her mind. She shuddered at the thought. "I can oversee the repairs if you would prefer to focus on finding Princess Anna."

 _Repairs,_ Elsa thought, recalling the broken windows everywhere. The Ice Maiden really had done quite some damage. She'd been so focused on Kai, she hadn't even thought about the castle.

"That would be most obliging," she answered. Unable to help herself, she glanced over her shoulder and then beyond Lord Harald. They were the only two in the corridor for the moment. If she wanted to, she could tell him about the Ice Maiden. She could have him swear not to breathe a word of it to anyone. But then, she wasn't sure who in the castle had seen the attack. Perhaps for now she would just keep it to herself unless he said something.

"There's also this matter with the Southern Isles…" Lord Harald continued.

"Well, the reply is on its way, is it not?" Elsa asked.

"This is maybe not the place for me to be saying this," he said. "But I can see that you have so much weighing on you right now. I just wanted to offer myself in your time of need."

The queen raised her eyebrow. He was offering himself? _What?_

"I mean only that if you start to feel you aren't…up to the task of managing every single crisis, please know that I'm here. You can delegate. I have the experience, as we both well know."

Although he paused for her to respond, Elsa had no idea what to say.

So the noble continued on. "I'm particularly concerned about the attack on the castle. I can look into it if you like."

"No," Elsa said too quickly. Lord Harald looked taken aback. "I mean… I would like to handle that. I can handle everything. It isn't that I don't appreciate what you're offering. But I can do this, I assure you." She frowned at him. Mostly, she had no doubt that he had the best of intentions. But some part of her was not so sure.

Lord Harald paused. He looked at first somewhat stricken by her answer, but his features quickly folded into compliance. He bowed to her as if to prove his respect for her decision. "Of course," he said.

The queen was at a loss for words, so she quietly excused herself and bid him a good evening before rushing to return to her own quarters. She went not directly to her room but to her private study. There it hit her when she saw piles of trade authorization requests, appeals, letters and invitations. It did not seem so unreasonable to her now that Lord Harald suggested she needed assistance. Perhaps someone else had urged him for his intervention.

Elsa sighed, suddenly experiencing something akin to homesickness. But the feeling was for her sister. How she missed having bright, goofy Anna around.

She stepped up to her desk with the piles of work to be done and frowned at it all. How could she focus on any of it when her little sister wasn't safe at home?

"Anna, where are you?"

* * *

The fisherman dragged his boat upon the shore and went the long way around the beach to climb up the chalk cliffs. He wept with every step over the loss of his lady love. No more would they meet at their sacred cove. No more would she sing to him. No more would he swim the waters with her and run his fingers through her golden hair. Never again would her gentle eyes fix upon him under the stars, her face glowing brighter than anything he'd ever seen. They would never exchange tender words ever again. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing left to live for.

His had never been an easy life. His mother died giving birth to him. His father, a fisherman before him, died at sea. His uncle had raised him, but his uncle was a rough, abusive man.

All that was left was fishing. How could he fish without thinking about her?

He reached the top and walked to an edge that jutted out far enough to touch the water. There he looked down into the sea. Yes, he would jump here. There were enough rocks below to assure a quick end. How fitting it would be that his life should end in the sea.

A salty breeze hit his face; it was not the least bit comforting, though it seemed to ask him if he had any last qualms or words. He had pretty much decided he would do this the moment his love told him they could never meet again. As for last words… what was there to say?

He wanted to turn and fall back because he was afraid. But he also wanted to the ocean to be the last thing he saw. Decisions, decisions.

Would she come to learn of his death, he wondered. Would she blame herself? He didn't blame her, even now. She was right; they could never truly be together. What was the point in dragging out such painful circumstances?

He stretched his arms out. Maybe it would be like flying… for a moment.

No. He turned around after all. He closed his eyes and imagined her catching him.

Then he took a step back off the edge of the cliff. Down and down he fell. It seemed more like someone had dropped him than that he had done this. The cool salt water hit him seconds later and he faded into darkness.

Time passed. But something happened later that was not supposed to happen. A kiss pulled him out of the dark.

What's this? He thought he was dead. But as he opened his eyes…

* * *

Anna felt soft lips touch her own, tearing her out of the dream. Her eyes shot open and she immediately knew three things: she was lying on her back on the ground, she was about to cough and Hans's mouth was on hers.

"Ahhhh!" she shrieked, shoving him off and jolting upright. She immediately hacked and trembled in a fit of coughs, pounding her chest and spitting out water. Her nose stung too as if water had gone up it. "What in the hammery heck do you think you're doing?!" She turned on him. He sat with her on a riverbank, his clothes completely muddied and damp. At some point while she was out, he had built a small fire with kindling from the forest behind them.

Hans stood up and brushed himself off, composed as well as a cat. Anna watched the firelight dance off of him. "I thought you needed resuscitation."

"Do you even have any kind of experience with that sort of thing?!" she snapped, fighting off the urge to touch her lips. His had been there just a minute ago… _Shut up, shut up, shut UP_ , she thought, glaring. She inched closer to the fire, feeling chilly.

"I've had some training," he answered with a smile. Then he held out a hand to help her up. She grudgingly accepted and let him pull her to her feet. "But it was more just to rouse you. You weren't waking up."

"To r-r-to what?!" she growled, throwing her shivering fist at him. He slid out of range and chuckled. "W-w-where a-are w-w-we?!" She looked around, hugging herself when she realized just how cold she was in spite of the fire. She was soaked and chilled to the bone. She looked upstream but couldn't see any sign of the caves. It was dusk now, much too difficult to see through all the trees.

"The current carried us a ways. My guess is we're not far from the saw mill. This c-c-could b-be the s-s-same creek-k they used-d for p-p-power," Hans answered, now shivering as well.

"W-w-what d-do we d-do n-now?" Anna asked, her teeth chattering. She noticed for the first time that Hans's weapons were gone. "Y-y-our s-sword! Y-you—"

"The weapons-s-s were w-w-weighing me d-down in the w-w-water," he answered. "A-a-nna, we have to get w-w-warm o-or w-we'll fr-freeze out h-here."

She looked at him helplessly, her fingers actually starting to burn from the cold. She'd lost her satchel and the map with it. He'd lost his weapons. They had not a clue where they were or how far it was to the mill or to Arendelle. They couldn't go back to the valley now that Volco had returned. And somewhere in the forest were hungry wolves.

She suddenly noticed he was staring at her strangely. "W-what is it-t-t?!" she asked.

"W-we n-n-need t-to get out o-of the-these w-w-wet cl-clothes," he answered.

Anna's jaw dropped. "Exc-c-cuse m-me?!" _Of all the nerve…_

"Do y-y-you want to fr-freeze to d-death?" he asked, his voice now sharp. "W-we're b-b-both sh-shivering-ing r-r-right n-now. Th-that m-means th-there's still t-t-time. W-we n-need to sh-share h-h-eat while w-w-we b-both still ha-have b-bodyh-h-heat to sh-share."

Anna shook her head. "I-I… c-c-ouldn't p-possibly…"

But Hans was already throwing his cloak off and undoing the buttons of the shirt underneath. Anna squeaked and turned away, the warmth in her cheeks creating an odd sensation under her chilly skin.

"Anna."

She started to turn, realized what she would see and stopped herself.

"I w-won't f-force you. But you c-can't s-stand ar-round like th-that."

"Y-you're r-right," she admitted, clenching her teeth to lessen the chattering, little good that it did. She undid the clasp on her cloak and let it fall. Then, after much hesitation, she started slipping out of her clothing, starting with her bodice. Not once did she turn to face Hans, not even after her dress dropped to her ankles.

She wasn't quite sure how her brain had the time to dwell on it, but it struck her now that it was odd for her to be standing in her undergarments in front of _him_ , her would-be fiancé and would-be murderer.

"If th-those are w-wet t-too, th-they'll have t-to go…" he said, his voice sounding closer. "I s-swear t-to be a g-gen-gentleman."

_A gentleman? Him?_

"C-could…" she stopped, closing her eyes. _It's just for survival. It's just for survival. Stop acting like a child._ "Could you h-help m-me with…?" She glanced over her shoulder to indicate the knotted string at her back. She turned her head back to look in front of her as soon as she sensed him move toward her.

Anna felt Hans stop behind her. She held her breath as his fingers undid the tied knot. Then he reached through the crisscrossed string over her back and tugged one section to loosen it, his fingertips brushing against her skin. Anna shuddered and jerked away from him with a gasp.

"Th-thank y-you, th-that'll do it!" she whispered, hugging the corset in place as if it would otherwise completely fall off of her.

"All right," he answered. "I'll be by the fire."

As Anna peeled away the rest of her remaining layers, she realized Hans had stopped shivering.

* * *

Anna woke up alone and covered in branches with dry, dead leaves. When she moved to rise, one of the twigs scratched her arm. She groaned and tossed the branches off of her one by one until she was free. She looked around, unable to spot Hans anywhere. The fire was nearly out. He had made a kind of makeshift clothes line with more dead branches sticking up out of the sand; her clothes hung from this, looking significantly dryer than the day previous. Anna supposed he had placed them near enough to the fire to dry overnight without catching flames. Hans's clothes were missing, so he was likely up and about already. She darkly wondered for a moment if he'd just left her alone in the forest. Not that it would surprise her!

Then she stopped and reflected on the night she just spent as she removed her undergarments, dress and bodice from the line. True to his word, Hans had been a gentleman. He had kept his eyes averted from her the entire time, refrained from making crass remarks and simply nuzzled into her throughout the entire night. Anna grew pink just thinking about it; she had just spent an entire night _cuddling_ Hans!

"That's…one detail no one necessarily needs to know," she mumbled to herself as she squeezed back into her clothing. The corset was tricky, but easier to manage now that her fingers weren't numb little icicles. She tried taming her hair with her fingers as she noticed something on the ground.

Anna bent to pick it up, looking it over with some confusion. She recognized it as a page torn from the hunter's log, which she assumed Hans had lost or ruined on their escape from Volco. The page in her hand was completely dry though. She wasn't sure what to make of the contents.

"The Ice Maiden…" she read, studying the sketch of a beautiful, aloof looking woman on the page. Her hair was white as snow, her eyes and lips blue. Her fingernails looked more like weapon-like icicles. Anna noticed instantly that there were no weaknesses listed for this entry; just strengths such as power over winter elements, ability to create ice creatures and immunity against weapons and magic. This entry had neither a date discovered nor a date slain. "Sounds like an impossible opponent even for a troll hunter." She mused over whether this 'Ice Maiden's' powers were related to Elsa's, since Elsa too could wield ice and snow.

"What are you doing?" Hans asked, coming out of the woods. Anna looked up and showed him the piece of paper.

"I found this! Looks like the lone survivor from the hunter's log," she said with a smile. The smile fell off her face when Hans came charging at her, yelling like a madman. "Whoa! Whoa, Hans, what the—" He knocked into her with full-force, sending them both rolling into a heap on the bank. Anna shrieked, knocking the heel of her palm into Hans's face as she tried to push him off of her. He struggled and reached for the piece of paper, trying to tear it away from her. "What is _wrong_ with you?! Is this what you want?!" She yelled and threw the paper at him, gaping in horror as he snatched it up in the blink of an eye and turned away, leaning over the paper like it was some kind of precious gem.

"Don't touch this!" he snarled back at her over his shoulder.

Anna's eyes widened. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, terrified by the reaction. Even when he was a smug murderer, he had not been that frightening. It was like he'd been possessed by a wild animal. When he didn't answer, she got up, shook the dirt off of her skirt and headed toward the woods. "That's it. I'm done. I didn't sign up for this. I'm going back to the castle."

"Anna, wait!" Hans called after her. Surprising herself, she did stop and turn. It was something about the way he'd called her name. He sounded…desperate.

"What?!" she snapped when he didn't say any more.

Hans stuffed the parchment into a pocket and looked at the ground until he spoke to her again. "I don't know what just came over me. Honestly. Let's go back together."

"And do what?!" she asked.

"We have to report to King Olaf and Queen Elsebet, right?"

Anna thought carefully before responding. "What are we reporting, Hans?" This entire adventure with him was finally getting old. His bizarre reaction to the page from the hunter's log was just about the last straw. Why should she have to accompany a man who scorned her and tried to take over Arendelle?

"Whatever you want," he answered.

Anna was stunned. "Why should I believe that? You know I want peace between Arendelle and the trolls."

"I know," Hans answered, cringing and covering one of his eyes and turning aside.

"Do you? You're prepared to come with me to persuade the king?"

"I don't… know that it'll work. But if we can persuade him, a treaty might be the best option… ahh," Hans trailed off, rubbing at his right eye.

"What's wrong with your eye?!" Anna yelled, irritated that he was getting distracted.

"Nothing," he answered, blinking rapidly until he appeared to recover. Then he shook his head. "Felt like something got in it. Anyway, where were we?"

"We're going back to Arendelle to convince them to make peace with the trolls."

"You think that will work?" Hans asked.

Anna shrugged. "We have to try. I can't see you taking on an entire community of trolls as the supposed troll hunter."

Hans snorted. "No… I suppose not. Well, then… after you."

Anna stole one last agitated glance at him before she resumed tromping ahead into the forest. There was something fishy about him, but she would just have to keep an eye on him once they got back to Arendelle.


	24. A Grand Plan

"Pleeaaase, just one more!"

Kristoff stopped in his tracks and glanced at Sven beside him in the woods. "Fine, but this is the last one! Cliff will give us supplies, but you can't go through them on the first day like this!" He dug into his sack and gave the reindeer one of the remaining carrots. Sven chewed away at it with glee, following when Kristoff entered the trolls' lands.

"Hey everyone, I'm home!" Kristoff announced.

An instant later, the trolls showed themselves. Many of them cheered at the sight of Kristoff. Some were still shaken by the attack from the other day.

Cliff and Bulda hurried down from the caves to greet them. Kristoff crouched down to make the group hug easier. Even Sven poked his head in and licked Cliff's grassy hair. The two trolls chuckled and gave Sven affectionate rubs under the chin until they saw the look on Kristoff's face.

"What's happened?" Cliff asked.

"There was an attack at the castle."

Bulda gasped and held Kristoff's face. "The Ice Maiden?" When Kristoff nodded, she looked at Cliff.

"What is it?" Kristoff asked, all too familiar with his parents' silent conversations. He used to wonder if he'd ever be close enough with someone to speak to them with just his eyes. Sven didn't quite count.

"She came here for the mirror," Bulda explained. "What was she after at the castle?"

Kristoff stood to think about it.

The woman - if she could be called that - had simply broken into the castle with her fellow ice ladies, but for what? She hadn't taken over, so why did she bring her ice army? She'd turned one manservant into ice for getting in her way...to what? Why had she merely left after looking in the prince's guest room? Was it Prince Hans she'd been looking for? _Why_?

Finally, he said, "I'm not sure. Her Majesty didn't know either. It doesn't make sense."

Cliff and Bulda started sinking into yet another silent conversation, but Kristoff cleared his throat, making them snap out of it. "But that's why I'm here. I need some more answers from Grand Pabbie."

Bulda made a face.

"What?"

"Grand Pabbie's been... kind of sick. Since yesterday," Cliff explained.

"Sick? Grand Pabbie doesn't get sick!"

"It's probably just the strain he put on himself to defend us from the attack," Bulda said. She laid a reassuring hand on Kristoff's knee. But Kristoff would not relax so easily.

"Can I see him?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Cliff answered. "He couldn't sleep all last night. We only got him to go to bed at daybreak."

Kristoff looked from his father to his mother.

"It's true. Headaches, he said. Though it seemed more than that. He was confused," she said.

 _Confused?_ Kristoff thought. That didn't sound like Grand Pabbie; it sounded like an elderly human. He shook his head.

"There's more," he said. "The Ice Maiden put a curse on the queen's servant. He's been turned into an ice sculpture."

Bulda reacted first, grabbing for Cliff's hand as her eyes went wide. "Goodness gracious, the nerve...!"

"You're not just out here for answers, are you?" Cliff asked, looking up at Kristoff now with a little more understanding.

"No..." Kristoff admitted. "The Queen couldn't use her magic during the attack. We don't know where the Ice Maiden is, or what she's up to. But she's attacked twice now. I couldn't just sit around."

Bulda choked. "So what, you're going after her alone?"

"He's not alone!" Kristoff answered in his Sven voice. The reindeer nodded.

Cliff shook his head. "It's still reckless. What are you going to do if you find her?"

"I... I hadn't thought it through that far! But at least we'd be a step ahead of where we are now, not knowing anything!" he said. "Come on, you guys! DON'T go doing that thing you two do where you talk to each other mutely in front of other people and make them feel all awkward!"

Bulda and Cliff both stared at him, stunned. Kristoff guessed they had never realized it was something they did.

"We're just worried," Bulda said.

"Then let me speak to Grand Pabbie! He's the only one who knows anything about the ice witch."

He cringed at the silent hesitation that followed. Bulda gave Kristoff her famous, stubborn frown; it was a face he had seen many times as a boy whenever he wouldn't listen. Cliff just looked away as Sven nuzzled up to him, obviously trying to win him over on Kristoff's behalf.

"Fine. But don't get him all worked up," Cliff warned.

Kristoff sighed. "I promise not to get him all worked up."

* * *

"You don't have to get so worked up about it."

They had found their way back to the main road to Arendelle. A couple of hours of awkwardly silent trekking put them through the tree line and descending the hills down to Arendelle.

"Worked up?!" Anna said. "We're talking about very delicate relations here. If we don't think this out properly, it could start a war."

"Here I had you pegged as annoyingly optimistic," Hans remarked. "Would you relax? You're just stressing yourself out."

"I don't exactly have any experience with this! And I don't trust you farther than I can throw you!"

Hans actually paused at that. Anna looked on wistfully at the castle in the distance. They were so close. Too close. They had to have a plan before they spoke with the king.

"You don't trust me even after last night?" he asked her.

His words gripped her much harder than she was prepared for. Anna looked away from him, her cheeks growing hot over the memory. After the initial debate over which way they would face, Hans had turned his back toward her and let her lie behind him. Initially, that had been fine. He'd had to reach for her hand to draw her arm over him ("You won't get enough warmth otherwise!") and then there was the matter of her chest on his back. She'd warmed up eventually, but for those first few minutes, she'd been mortified by the effects of chilly air. She had had a hard time falling asleep too. Not Hans, though. Unless he'd pretended to sleep. She remembered him turning back toward her, deaf to her questioning as he pulled her into his chest and rested his chin atop her head. She'd been sure she wouldn't get _any_ sleep after he slid one of his legs over hers. But it had been so… cozy; and his chest, while firm, had made a nice, warm pillow. His heartbeat was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep that night.

The night could have gone a lot of different ways. But it struck her that Hans hadn't even tried to take advantage. She supposed it could be that she just wasn't attractive to him.

_Elsa was preferable, of course._

"Shut up!" Anna said, unsure as to whether she was talking to Hans or her own brain. She forced herself to think of her little ducklings back at home. Then she thought of her sister. Finally, she thought of Kristoff. _Kristoff_! What would he think of her if he ever learned about last night?

 _Well, he's not going to_ , she determined.

Hans sighed. "I guess that's all the answer I need," he said. "Fine. What kind of plan do you think we need?"

Anna glanced at him. Was it just her imagination or did he look hurt?

* * *

Sven stayed behind to play with the young trolls when Cliff and Bulda led Kristoff to Grand Pabbie's cave overlooking the valley. Before they left him there, they admonished him once more against upsetting Grand Pabbie in his current state. When they were gone, he admired the countless crystals suspended from the cave ceiling, all representative of the magic Grand Pabbie had mastered in his lifetime. Most trolls completed their studies after mastering the basic elements: fire, water, earth and air. A few gifted individuals could go on to hybrid studies. For example, fire and earth made magic like volcano and earthquakes. Water and air created snow and cyclones. The opposing elements refused to work together; fire and water, earth and air. But there were other elements to make up for that: lightning, shadow, light, healing, toxin. The rarest magic was known to few, but Kristoff was aware certain elements were forbidden. It all made his head spin, but he had had to learn all about it growing up anyway. Bulda had insisted that he learn with all the other troll children even if he himself could never use crystals.

He finally took his eyes away from the ceiling and looked at the resting figure across the room. Grand Pabbie lied on a bed of moss and grass, propped up by a rock barely larger than his head. As Kristoff approached, he was relieved to see the elder's chest rise and fall. Bulda and Cliff had made his condition sound so severe that Kristoff hadn't known what to expect.

"Grand Pabbie?" Kristoff said, kneeling down beside the sleeping troll. "It's Kristoff…"

Grand Pabbie let out a little snore that made Kristoff grin. The grin subsided almost immediately when he realized how worried the troll looked even in deep sleep.

"Hey," Kristoff said, gently poking Grand Pabbie. The troll's eyes shot open and he leapt up with a shout. "Whoa! Whoa, sorry! It's Kristoff, it's just me! Hi!"

Grand Pabbie looked wildly about the cave until his eyes rested on Kristoff. Then he calmed a little, though his breathing was heavy.

"Kristoff… you're back," the troll said with a tired smile.

"The others told me you haven't been feeling well."

Grand Pabbie merely shrugged and climbed out of bed. "It's my age, you know. Don't ever grow old."

"How old are you exactly?" Kristoff winced when Grand Pabbie raised an eyebrow at him. He should have known it was not polite to ask.

"Older than the rest. I've seen a lot," Grand Pabbie said. "You didn't come to inquire about my age though."

Kristoff sighed. "If you're not well, it can wait. Just not for long."

"Better we just talk now then," Grand Pabbie decided. He lifted a little rock bowl from the floor next to his bed and sipped from it. "Things keep changing." He wiggled his fingers over his head.

"Huh?"

"Never mind that yet. Just tell me what's happened."

Kristoff swallowed back his concern for the moment and talked about the attack at the castle. Grand Pabbie stopped him after he described what had happened to Kai.

"This is worse than I thought."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. But what did you mean by things keep changing?" Kristoff asked, unable to help asking.

Grand Pabbie narrowed his eyes and gazed at the floor, shrugging as if he himself did not know why he'd said it. "It started a couple of nights ago. I mentioned my age before because that's the only thing I can think of. We trolls do live a long time, but age eventually affects us much the same way it affects anyone else."

Kristoff frowned. "Are you trying to tell me you're senile?"

Grand Pabbie chuckled at that. "Could be. In any case, my memories are… changing. I'm forgetting some things and remembering things I didn't know I knew." He looked over at Kristoff. "I can see this disturbs you, so let us return to the topic of the attack, shall we?" Grand Pabbie walked to a bookshelf built into the left cave wall. There he brushed his hand over the various scrolls and books within, searching. "She used ice magic… and transformative magic. She must be very powerful. Perhaps more powerful than Queen Elsa."

Kristoff gulped. That was not something he expected to hear. "I did come here for hope, you know."

"Yes. Hope is not yet lost," Grand Pabbie murmured, pulling out a single piece of parchment from the shelf. He handed it to Kristoff.

Kristoff looked down at the faded, worn paper in his hands. He could barely make out the writing, but there was no mistaking that it had been torn from someplace, possibly an actual book. The drawing on it startled him.

"This is her," Kristoff said, pointing at the woman on the paper. "The Ice Maiden. What is this? Why do you have it?"

"I didn't know I had it until today," Grand Pabbie replied, his brow crinkling. Kristoff felt a pang of guilt as he watched the elder stir in confusion. "Someone gave it to me… long ago."

"But she looks exactly the same," Kristoff said. He glanced down at the drawing again. "She couldn't be much older than myself."

Grand Pabbie shook his head. "You must stop thinking of her as a normal human."

"Then what is she?" Kristoff asked.

The troll shook his head. "That I don't know. I wish I had more answers for you, my boy."

Kristoff could see the elder was growing upset, so he refrained from saying any more. Instead he sighed quietly and plopped down on the cold cave floor, staring at the drawing of the Ice Maiden. Time and elements had nearly erased it from the page. He could make out certain words in the writing—'ice creatures, immunity'—but for the most part, it was smudged and faded.

"Hope is not yet lost," Grand Pabbie repeated. Kristoff glanced at him.

"The queen could not use her magic against this… Ice Maiden," Kristoff said. "We know nothing about her. What kind of hope is that?"

Grand Pabbie contemplated the new information before he spoke again. "You know that she is immortal. You know that she is looking for truth mirrors. You know what she is willing to do to get what she wants. What's more, she's been cursed with her power. Someone like that has a story. When you have the story, all else will be revealed."

"But you're the eldest here. If anyone was going to know her story, it would have been you," Kristoff said, growing exasperated. No matter what Grand Pabbie said about hope, things were looking more and more hopeless.

Grand Pabbie laughed. "Did you think I'm the only old, magical thing in these parts?"

Kristoff's eyes grew. He had never thought about that. "You mean...?"

"Tell me this. What is your grand plan once you find this Ice Maiden?"

"I'm not foolish enough to think I could defeat her myself," Kristoff said quickly, blushing in embarrassment. He knew his own limits. He had seen what the Ice Maiden could do. "But if I knew her whereabouts… if I knew more about her, I could pass the information on to Queen Elsa."

"For the queen to defeat the Ice Maiden?" Grand Pabbie asked. Kristoff nodded. "Are you sure you want to do this? Go looking for the Ice Maiden and her story?" Kristoff nodded again. What part didn't Grand Pabbie understand?

Beneath the bookshelf in the wall was a trunk. Grand Pabbie knocked on the top of the trunk now and then punched the keyhole at the front. Kristoff jumped, wondering what on earth the troll was up to now.

Grand Pabbie said nothing as he opened the trunk and sifted through its contents. He threw items aside that were in his way; glittering socks, a ring of rusty keys, several hats, an arrow, silver coins the size of Kristof's hand, a ball of yarn. Kristoff's jaw dropped as Grand Pabbie kept removing items. It seemed like there was more in the trunk than should have been possible. Next he saw little reindeer figurines, a pair of skates, a cat-doll in a dress, a saw, a bundle of flowers and a hen that ran about the floor clucking as soon as it was released.

"What the—?"

"Here we are!" Grand Pabbie exclaimed. "Ah, and this too!" He turned around, beaming.

Kristoff almost fell over. Was the old troll completely out of his mind? Why did he keep so much in one trunk? How long had the chicken been living in there?! Perhaps equally disturbing was the look of pride on Grand Pabbie's face as he held a purple carrot out in one hand and a pair of red leather boots in the other.

"Now this," Grand Pabbie indicated the carrot, "Is _only_ to be used in a dire time of need. Do you understand me?"

Kristoff stared blankly, not uttering a word.

"Nod or shake your head, do you understand?" Grand Pabbie asked again.

Kristoff nodded, trying not to ask what was so special about a carrot. True, Kristoff was more accustomed to feeding Sven orange carrots, but purple carrots were common enough.

"Now these," Grand Pabbie continued, wiggling the boots in his other hand. "You can use whenever. Just never get them wet or they will cease working, do you understand? Nod or shake."

"What do they do?" Kristoff asked, growing impatient with how cryptic Grand Pabbie was being.

"These are flight boots. They do what you'd think they do," Grand Pabbie answered.

"Ah."

Grand Pabbie thrust the carrot and the boots into Kristoff's arms and then gave him a hug quite fierce for someone so small.

"I am doing this because we trolls are sworn to help those in need. But I do worry about you. Be careful!"

Kristoff nodded and looked down at the items Grand Pabbie had given to him. Flight boots could come in handy, he thought. But what was with the carrot?

"This carrot—"

"Ahh!" Grand Pabbie hissed and held the side of his head, turning away from Kristoff.

"Grand Pabbie! Are you all right?!" Kristoff leaned over him, unsure whether to touch the troll's shoulder or not. Grand Pabbie shuddered and shook, grabbing onto his bed as he groaned.

"It's just another headache." Grand Pabbie groaned. "Go on, my boy. You'll be fine." He didn't look at Kristoff as he said it. Instead the elder climbed back into bed and laid his head against his rock-pillow.

Kristoff frowned, vaguely aware of the clucking from the chicken that had made itself comfortable in a dark corner. "Do you want me to get someone? Do you need anything?"

"Go on now. I'll be fine."

Kristoff hesitated. He didn't want to leave Grand Pabbie alone like this. But the troll seemed determined to be left alone. Again he looked down at the gifts given to him.

"Thank you," he said. It took a lot out of him to leave. Something was going on with Grand Pabbie, more than he was letting on. But it seemed out of Kristoff's hands or ability to assist. He sighed one last time, worrying over Grand Pabbie as he turned to leave. He tucked the boots under one arm and hid the carrot away in the sack, making a mental note not to let Sven eat it.

* * *

They'd bickered about it all the way through town, stopping only for Hans to sign autographs at each corner. Anna wanted to do all the talking. No, Hans argued. That didn't make sense. The king had requested aid from the troll hunter, not the troll hunter's sister _._ In the end, Anna only relented because Hans agreed to allow her input when he spoke with the king.

Hans waved at the guards posted at the castle gate. Anna was not surprised when they did not return his greeting. Neither one of them expected to be seized as soon as they crossed the bridge to the castle, however. Nor did they expect to be bound and dragged before the king like criminals.

The guards pushed through the crowd gathered in the Great Hall and set the 'siblings' on their knees before the king. Anna noticed one man step forth from the crowd—bulkier than Hans, though not quite as buff as Kristoff. The man had dark, shaggy hair and looked in need of a shave. But Anna hardly got a good look at his face before the man stepped up to face the king and queen with his back to the audience.

"Mister Hans. Miss Anna," the king addressed them.

"Oh no," Anna heard from Hans. He was looking at the man standing between them and the king.

"Allow me to introduce to you the _real_ troll hunter of Grimmstad."


	25. The Other Hans

"Hansel, this is the 'Hans' we talked about. The woman is his sister and—I presume—his accomplice."

The troll hunter, evidently named Hansel, turned and grimaced as King Olaf made the introduction. The audience had been holding their breaths, but now the Great Hall buzzed to life with hushed gossip. Anna looked back over her shoulder. She had a good guess as to which one of them was the greater target of curiosity.

"If memory serves correctly," Hansel said, walking up to the prince on his knees. The audience quieted. "I saved your life out there." He merely looked down upon Hans, waiting.

Anna expected Hans to apologize or crack a wise remark. She was shocked that he did neither.

"Yes, that's right... for that I'm grateful-"

"Grateful?" The troll hunter scoffed. "You have a curious way of showing it, stealing my identity." The man reached in his long coat pocket and withdrew an envelope. He opened this and displayed the contents for Hans to read. "Here, a letter from _my_ Lord Langlete of Grimmstad. Are you even from Grimmstad? Is Hans truly your name?"

Anna watched mutely, unable to think of an interjection that could help. Her heart beat so heavily that it was almost a distraction from watching Hans think of what to say. What happened to the smooth Prince Charming that had conned her? Could it be he really believed the real troll hunter had died back in the forest?

"Sir, it was never my intention to rob you of your identity," Hans said.

Hansel sneered and looked past Hans to Anna. "Was this his idea or yours?"

Blood boiling at the accusation, Anna moved to answer when Hans interrupted. "I dragged her into this. Please let me explain."

"Yes!" King Olaf cheered from his throne. All eyes turned toward him. "Please explain why you masqueraded yourself as the famed troll hunter of Grimmstad. Please tell us why you lied to the crown of Arendelle."

Anna gulped. She had been so worried about how to convince the king to make peace with the trolls. She certainly hadn't expected the real Hans—Hansel—to show up. At the rate things were going, Hans might be tried for treason. Worse, she might be tried with him.

"Your Majesty," Hans said with a bow of his head. "I give my humblest apology. I am aware of what this looks like." Anna mentally begged him not to say 'treason', just on the very slim chance that the word was not already in everyone's heads. "One might say it was treason." Anna's shoulders slumped. _Shut_ _it, Hans,_ she thought with a shake of her head. But Hans would not look away from the throne.

"The truth is," Hans continued. Anna stifled a groan, not willing to draw attention to herself. "When I escaped—for which I owe this man—and arrived here in Arendelle with his things, your people just … assumed. Parents wept as they told me how they didn't feel safe letting their children into the forest. Women begged me to make it so their husbands who worked at the saw mill would be safe going to work every morning. Men offered their aid to fight the creatures in the forest if I could just determine a weakness first."

"You let them assume," Hansel argued.

"Because of my own assumption," Hans cut back. "You were surely dead, I thought. Even now, I'm not sure how you can possibly be standing here. I am truly sorry for deceiving the people of Arendelle, but I did not have it in me to crush their hopes."

There were murmurs in the crowd now. But Anna had eyes only for Queen Elsebet, who leaned to the side to whisper to her husband. Anna felt her own hope return to her. The queen seemed the more reasonable of the two monarchs. Perhaps she was talking King Olaf into some leniency.

"What of my weapons? My hunt log?" Hansel asked, seemingly unmoved by his impostor's words.

Hans looked down at his bound hands when he answered. "They were lost. We ran into several skirmishes in the forest."

"You what?!"

Hans held his hands up, seeing the troll hunter's agitation. "I'll replace everything at the earliest opportunity," Hans assured him. But the troll hunter would not be pacified.

Hansel stalked up to the prince on the floor, his eyes boring down into him. "What good is the word of a liar? I never should have saved you!"

Anna's head snapped up. "Hey!" she yelled, feeling everyone's attention turn on her. She looked to Hans, unsure of herself now. Why should she speak up for him after everything he did to her? Yet as she knelt there—her knees starting to ache on the hard floor—meeting Hans's look of surprise, she felt in her gut that he was sincere. At least right now, she felt that he was. "Weren't you listening?" She asked, directing the question at Hansel. "He was trying to keep hope alive. Now that's what we came back with today... hope. But if you just want to call us liars, we don't have to share that hope with you." She was bluffing, of course. She didn't want Old Arendelle to war with the trolls. What kind of future would that create for her to go back to? She shuddered to think of it.

"Miss Anna."

Anna looked up. It had been Queen Elsebet who addressed her. She wanted to look away from the queen's disappointed eyes, but she held her gaze anyway.

"We've met the trolls," Anna said, watching for the queen's reaction.

"What did you say?" the king asked. He gripped the arms of his seat and gaped from Hans to Anna. "You've met them?"

Anna nodded. "They don't want to hurt anyone," she said, ignoring the king's face as it twisted in revulsion. "In fact, it's only because their leader doesn't trust humans that they attacked the sawmill."

"Anna..." Hans warned.

But she continued. "He's just one troll though. He doesn't represent them all. Based on the ones we met... I just know they could be friends to the people of Arendelle. If you just give them a chance—"

"That's enough!" the king raged, standing.

"My king," the queen said. But King Olaf's mind was made up.

He shouted, directing most of his fury at Hans. "I sent you to study them for weaknesses, not to befriend them!"

"Your Majesty, if I may..." Anna said, glancing nervously at Hans. Why wasn't he pitching in? Here was a time she could actually appreciate his skill for charm and manipulation.

"You may not," King Olaf snapped. "Guards. Lock them up!"

"Olaf!" the queen objected.

"Enough, woman. It's done. At least until I figure out what to do with them."

Anna instinctively shrank back as two guards moved toward her. She looked at Hans, waiting for him to say something clever or just something to help them out of this. She waited for him to smirk or wink at her, any sign to indicate that he had something up his sleeve. But the guards grabbed them both and lifted them to their feet. One turned Hans away from her and guided him out of the hall. Anna was forced to follow.

* * *

Kristoff headed northeast, having set the craggy coast as a destination. His parents had sent him off with food and supplies. Bulda almost hadn't let him go.

"You be careful out there!" she had warned him, leaping up to hug him.

"I know how to take care of myself," Kristof had assured her with a chuckle.

"You've not been out that way. It's not like you're going up to Batsfjord," she'd argued. Batsfjord was one of the towns north of Arendelle. Kristoff had traveled there several times on ice deliveries. Going to the coast was about the same distance, just a few degrees to the east. Once he reached the river, he could follow it the rest of the way. "It's wild up there."

Kristoff had raised his eyebrow. "Are you that worried about me?"

"We both are," Cliff had said. "Just promise us not to sleep out in the open. Keep your eye out."

"You're starting to scare me," Kristoff said, feigning a nervous look. Bulda swatted him over his blond head.

"We're serious! Promise us!"

So he'd promised. But several hours later, he was already in unfamiliar territory and he could not see what all the fuss was for. There was no road, so he had had to leave his sled behind. He could see running into wolves being problematic, but he had weapons and matches for fire to keep them at bay.

Sven groaned beneath him, alerting Kristoff for the reindeer's need to take a break. Kristoff hopped down and led his furry friend into a more shaded cluster of trees where they both sat to rest. Sven sniffed his muzzle toward Kristoff's sack of food.

"Later," Kristoff said. He rolled his eyes when the reindeer snorted in disapproval. "Don't give me that..."

The reindeer sighed, a gesture he had originally learned for the sole purpose of mocking his human friend but eventually became something natural he did. Kristoff grinned and subtly pulled an apple out of his pocket. With Sven's head turned away from him, Kristoff used a small knife to slice the fruit in half. Then he gently tossed half at Sven's head. The reindeer hawed in surprise, his eyes bulging when he spotted the apple on the ground. He nearly inhaled it, snorting in contentment afterward.

"I wonder what she's doing right now," Kristoff thought aloud. He was only a little startled with himself when he realized he wasn't talking about Anna. Oh, sure. He prayed—or prayed as someone who didn't know how to pray—for her safety, particularly that her safety included hundreds of miles of distance between herself and that conniving Prince Hans. But at this particular moment, it was not the princess he wondered about. It was her older sister.

Kristoff ignored the blush on his face and bit off a quarter of the apple. What did it matter what the queen was up to? He had probably caused her a little aggravation by going out after the Ice Maiden himself. But Elsa still had a kingdom to rule.

 _Your Majesty,_ he'd written. _I know this will be an annoyance to you, but don't you worry. I'll be fine. I'm not prone to just sitting around indoors for long periods of time, you'll have to forgive that. I made a decision after the attack at your castle. Specifically, I've decided to track down the Ice Maiden. Now don't fret. I'm not crazy enough to take her on myself. But you have so many matters to tend to. So I'm taking it upon myself to help you with this one. It's what Anna would want. I'll be back with the Ice Maiden's location as soon as I can. Your friend, Kristoff. P.S. Don't let that noble intimidate you. P.P.S. Please don't come after me._

He had agonized for a good ten minutes over whether it was formal enough before folding it up and leaving it on his bed, which he had made a ludicrous attempt at tidying up before his departure. He still couldn't wrap his head around anyone cleaning up after him. At least venturing north would take him away from that for a while.

A stick snapped on the ground behind him. Sven snorted and struggled too quickly to stand. Kristoff just registered the alertness in the reindeer's eyes as something hard struck him on the head from behind. He dropped the apple and fell out cold to the ground.

* * *

Hours had gone with them sitting at opposite sides of the cell, not speaking a word to each other. Anna had shouted and raged from the locked door at first. Her voice grew tired though. Now she sat on a cot against the cold, grey wall and stared at the floor. She contemplated a number of things as the minutes dragged on. She wondered how much time had passed since they were thrown into the dungeons. She wondered if the queen was trying even now to persuade her husband to release them.

"I should be used to this," she muttered, breaking the quiet.

"What?"

She glanced across the cell to Hans, surprised he had responded. "Being locked up."

"Oh... right," he said with a nod. So he remembered what she'd told him about the castle gates.

"The king was really angry," Anna said, hugging herself against a draft that blew in through the window of their cell door. "I mean, I was expecting that. I just wasn't expecting him to be that angry. He must be my what? Great-great-great-great grandfather? What a grump!" She giggled at that, though she knew she was forcing it.

Hans sighed. "That's why I wanted to do the talking."

Anna glared at him. "Is that all you have to say?"

Hans shrugged, leaning against the opposite wall, not even looking at her now. "What do you want me to say?"

"Who knows how long we'll be in here?" she thought aloud, no longer caring about what he had to say. No one knew who they were, where they came from. There was no one to help them. What if she never saw Elsa again?

"Hey..."

She heard him, but barely registered it as her thoughts took over. What if Queen Elsebet couldn't reason with her husband? What if they were tried for treason?

Hans knelt in front of her. She'd been so consumed in worry, she hadn't noticed him approach. He became blurry as she blinked back tears at the thought of never going home.

"Anna," he said.

"Don't. You're going to say something stupid, I just know it. Just go back to your side of the room and leave me alone," she warned him.

He considered that as he took one of her hands into his. "I was just going to thank you for sticking up for me back there. No one's ever done that for me before. And you of all people have the least reason to."

She gently took her hand back so she could use both hands to wipe the tears away from her cheeks. She was sure she looked like a mess. Why did she have to be a mess in front of _him_?

"I know you're scared," he said, looking around the cell. "These aren't accommodations you're used to." She sniffed loudly, telling herself not to care whether or not he would be disgusted. He hadn't seemed to hear though. "King Olaf is stern... but he's not cruel. I'm sure you'll be let out in no time."

She furrowed her brow. "I won't leave without you."

He sat back and studied her in blatant surprise.

"We're in this together, right?" she added, hoping there were no assumptions going on in that gorgeous head of his. She would not be hoodwinked again. Thinking quickly, she changed the subject. "Do you think they'll go after the trolls?"

Hans shook his head. "I don't know."

"Psst!"

Both Hans and Anna snapped their heads towards the cell door. The door was solid wood save for a barred window at the center. Through the window, Anna could make out the top of a small, pretty face.

"Your Highness...?" she whispered, quickly patting at her own face. She couldn't very well look like an emotional wreck in front of her ancestor, could she?

"Is it true?" The princess wrapped her fingers around the bars and hopped so that she could better see into the cell. "It looks scary in there..."

"Is what true, Your Highness?" Hans asked, standing. He beckoned Anna to join him at the cell door.

"That the trolls are peaceful?" Princess Kirsten asked.

Hans and Anna looked to one another. He gestured, leaving it for her to answer.

"Well, there is one who hates humans... but all the others are peaceful. Maybe they can persuade the other one. But we have to show them we want peace."

The younger princess went quiet for a moment, disappearing from view. Anna looked to Hans, who peered out the door window.

"Give me time," Princess Kirsten whispered. "I'll get you both out of here."

"Huh?" Anna and Hans said together.

"You must forgive my father. He doesn't trust anything magical."

"He probably wouldn't be happy to find out you've been down here," Hans commented.

Anna was startled when the princess laughed in reply. "Don't you worry, no one's seen me!"

"Wait... how do you plan to get us out of here?" Anna asked, wanting to hope. Dare she hope?

There was a noise from elsewhere outside the cell. The princess turned her head away. "I need to go. Don't worry!" She waved at them and disappeared.

"Wait! Hey, wait!" Anna shouted, jumping up to try and see out through the little window.

"She's gone," Hans told her, resting his hands on her shoulders to still her jumping.

"What do you suppose all that was about?" she asked, turning toward him.

"I can only guess," Hans answered, grinning towards the cell door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I put a poll up on my FFnet profile page regarding Hans POV chapters (also Miaka on there). Check it out, submit your vote... I'm interested in what you guys think! So far I haven't dived into Hans's thoughts because I preferred to leave him as something of a mystery. I still wouldn't spell out what's going on with him; that's to be a slow reveal, though many of you have already made excellent guesses! :D


	26. The Purple Carrot

Kristoff woke to laughter and a headache. He popped one eye open, his skull throbbing as though he'd had one too many beers before falling asleep. He opened his other eye and rested his head against the scratchy surface behind him—tree, he decided—to try and still his vision. There looked to be a camp around him. Several figures stood spread about the premises, some lowering underbrush into a pit in the ground, others standing and talking animatedly amongst themselves. It took him longer than it should have, but Kristoff counted seven of them... and one small girl skipping from group to group.

Kristoff's eyes popped wide open as he remembered being knocked over the head before waking up like this. He immediately lurched to rise to his feet but was held in place by tight ropes binding him to the tree trunk behind him.

"Ah, he's..." One, a round middle aged woman, observed Kristoff's regained consciousness and pointed his waking state out to the rest of them.

Kristoff narrowed his eyes, double-checking his count. Seven, plus the child. There was no way he could take them all on his own. Suddenly he panicked. _Sven!?_ His eyes darted left and right. He calmed when he spotted Sven roped to a tree some yards away from him. His friend was preoccupied with grazing on the grass by his own tree. Kristoff permitted himself a relieved sigh, but he tensed up as a few of his captors circled around him.

"Finally up?" a clean-shaven carrot-topped youth asked, prodding at Kristoff's knee with his boot. Kristoff jerked his leg away, glancing at movement to his far right. The little girl had gone up to Sven. She appeared to be talking to him now, barely tall enough to reach up and feel his antlers. Kristoff held his breath and hoped Sven wouldn't react badly. Much to his surprise, Sven stuck his tongue out and licked the little girl's nose. It appeared he liked her, whoever she was.

"Look," Kristoff said, surprised by the rasp in his voice. He cleared his throat and looked up to them with his most piercing gaze. "I don't have anything valuable. Just let me go."

"Ooh?" the redhead asked with a chuckle. "What're these?" He held his hand out to the solemn faced woman on his left. Kristoff watched her pass Grand Pabie's red boots into carrot top's hands.

"Hey!" he objected, furious that they'd been pilfered. The man shook the boots back and forth inches away from Kristoff's face, making Kristoff growl. "Give those back! Those were a gift!" He jerked forward, testing his restraints. But it was no good. He was stuck to the stupid tree.

"Aye, and now they're your gift to us," the young man answered, handing the boots back to the silent woman beside him.

Kristoff frowned at the three of them: the woman, the carrot top and a balding, sour-faced man on the right. "What are you going to do with me?" he asked. He might as well know his fate. But none of them would answer.

* * *

Hours passed without any of the group speaking to Kristoff. He had come to think of them as robbers. They had stolen from him, after all.

The girl was the youngest among them. He'd watched her bring apples to Sven and pet the reindeer's fur. There were a couple of other reindeer at another end of the camp, bound to a tree with a lone, shaggy chestnut mare. In spite of having pre-established animal companions, the girl seemed oddly attached to Sven. Kristoff assumed the robbers would want to keep him, but what would they want with a crude ice harvester? He eyed their clothing with purpose for the first time. They wore neither Arendelle's fashion nor Sami attire. Who were they?

A couple went into the woods and returned some time later with a few rabbits. Kristoff almost refused when the little girl offered him some morsels for dinner. But his pride was no match for his hunger, and he gruffly thanked her before wolfing down the meal.

He kept his curiosity to himself as he watched them start a campfire. The sky turned to dusk and then twilight. Kristoff kept glancing over at Sven, hoping to catch the reindeer's attention. But Sven was always snorting at the grass by his hooves or happily beaming at the little girl when she ran over to give him attention. Kristoff wasn't sure which he found more irritating.

Eventually he let himself relax. He'd been traveling since daybreak and the journey was finally catching up to him. The chances of his escaping a group that large when he was that exhausted were slim to none. He actually felt relieved when he accepted this. Tomorrow would be another day. There'd be another reason to talk sense into them. At least none of them had tried on Grand Pabbie's boots yet. 'Flight boots', he'd called them. Kristoff frowned. It wasn't that he doubted his grandfather, but he didn't see how the boots could aid him against an ice-wielding witch.

"Do you like stories?"

Kristoff jumped at the question. He glanced left and found the same little girl squatted down and staring at him. He raised his eyebrow. Hadn't he just seen her with the others, staring into the fire? How is it she appeared to be everywhere at once?

"It depends on the story," he answered after a moment's hesitation. She was just a child, after all. Probably harmless. He eyed her now to reassure himself. She was bright-faced for someone bone-thin. Her pretty black hair dangled over her shoulders in loose, static waves. She wore a white band around her head to keep those dark locks out of her face. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, but they twinkled with the light from the fire. Kristoff saw secrets in those eyes. He suspected the girl was older than she looked.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She smiled. "Maija."

Immediately after she introduced herself, Maija turned away from him to look back toward the campfire. Kristoff looked past her to see what had drawn her attention. The robbers were all gathering around the fire now. It looked like it was a ritual for them.

"Listen," Maija whispered. Then she left Kristoff to join the others by the fire.

Kristoff watched with some confusion as the girl skipped off and found herself a seat between Carrot Top and an elderly gentleman. Once Maija was seated, she clapped her hands. Once she had everyone's attention, she spoke in a voice as crisp as autumn. Then she spoke with the voice of an elder, spinning a tale Kristoff had never heard before...

* * *

_Long, long ago, there was a wicked sprite—in fact, he was the most mischievous of his kind, always playing tricks on his more docile siblings and mortal kinds. One day he was absolutely pleased with himself, for he had forged a mirror unlike any other. Some might call the mirror 'evil', for it drove many to such a fate. But while the mirror was enchanted, the only evil in it was that it could not lie. Rather, it could only reflect the most sacred and naked truths. Some truths are not meant to be beheld, however. This was how many who looked upon its surface were pushed to insanity. For truth lies in many places._

_"What fun!" said the sprite, cheering as nations warred against one another when one learned the other's true intentions. No man could hide his darkest thought from the mirror. The sprite laughed heartily over this clever discovery._

_All the sprites who went to his school—for he kept a school—told each other a miracle had happened and that now, thanks to their headmaster, it would be possible to see the world for what it truly was. They flew the mirror from continent to continent until there was not a land or person who could trust another, for they had seen the worst of their secrets hidden away in their hearts._

_Then the lot of sprites had a most clever idea. What if they flew the mirror up to the heavens, where all the angels surely kept ugly secrets of their own? What a joke that would be!_

_But the higher they took the mirror, the heavier its burden became. Higher and higher, all the way to the stars they flew, until they could barely carry it. Suddenly the mirror shook and fell from their grasp, falling to the earth where it shattered into a million pieces. Now it caused more trouble than it had before, for some shards flew into people's eyes while others were left alone. Some shards found their way back to each other, making smaller mirrors of equal consequence. For now while some people saw the truth and accepted it, others went mad from it. Then there were people who had not seen the truth, but fought valiantly for what they believed in anyway. This caused a great number of quarrels and betrayal, much to the wicked sprite's amusement. He chuckled at his work, splinters of the one mirror still loose upon the earth, causing havoc and confusion. And that is how evil came into all of our hearts. But if we'd only accept the truth the mirror show us, rather than let it overpower us..._

* * *

Kristoff woke with a start to his name in the wind. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head to make himself more alert, looking back and forth all around the camp. He could not recall nodding off. The fire had weakened, but was still burning. The robbers rested in still forms all around, some of them snoring.

"...Kristoff."

There it was again. He turned his eyes over to Sven's tree. He nearly squawked in surprise to see Sven standing much closer to him, stretching the end of his rope from the tree.

"I thought you'd never wake up!" Sven whispered, grinning goofily.

Kristoff hesitated. Did what he think just happened actually happen? Did Sven … _talk?_

"What the—?! Did you just...?!" Kristoff hissed, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was actually awake.

"Cool, huh?" Sven said, giving him a classic, dopey smile.

" _Cool_?! Did they poison me or what? Am I hallucinating?!" Kristoff panicked.

Sven scowled. "We don't have much time. Listen..."

"LISTEN!? But you're _talking_!"

"That didn't seem to bother you before," Sven retorted with a snort.

"That's, err, that was different."

Sven gave Kristoff an unamused-reindeer face. "What, when I didn't have a voice of my own?"

"Wait, could you talk all this time or... wait a minute..." Kristoff thought quickly, recalling the flight boots that Carrot Top had shown off earlier. But what happened to Grand Pabbie's purple carrot? "You ate the carrot, _didn't_ you?!"

Sven looked guilty for all of two seconds before he shook his head. "Can we focus, please?" Kristoff took a moment to dwell on the fact that Sven's voice was deeper than his own. Then he snapped himself out of it.

"Focus?! Grand Pabbie specifically said that carrot was only to be used—"

"In a time of dire need, yes, you did mention that once or twice or a _hundred_ times," Sven interrupted. "Now please, for the love of all carrots, would you listen?!" As he snorted in impatience, steam actually puffed out of his nostrils.

Kristoff would have made another snarky remark but stopped himself when he observed Sven's anxious face. It was rare for Sven to be so serious. "What is it, buddy?" Kristoff asked, putting aside the issue of the purple carrot ... for the moment.

"I overheard them talking earlier," Sven whispered, his eyes shifting toward the sleeping forms on the ground. Kristoff frowned in question. "They're going to take you to some kind of trading post! It sounded like they'd be trading _you_."

"Me?" Kristoff scoffed. "What about you? That Maija seems to have taken a liking to you."

Sven nodded. "Me, they'll keep. Trading you was Maija's idea."

Kristoff's heart stopped. The little girl wanted to trade him off... as what, a slave? But she was just a child!

"Ahem."

Both Kristoff and Sven turned their heads toward the campfire. One of the robbers had sat up, overhearing them. Kristoff's blood ran cold as he realized it was Maija sitting up.

Wide-eyed, Sven hung his head low and sauntered back over to his tree, pretending as though he hadn't just been conversing with his human companion.

Kristoff looked away from Maija's gaze and turned over, knowing full well he would not be able to fall back asleep. Instead, he contemplated a plan to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I figured Kristoff deserved a little adventure time after being stuck in Arendelle. Granted, he may have walked into more than he bargained for... but fear not, he and Sven are a dynamic duo! (Special thanks to MoonShadow396 for helping me brainstorm for Kristoff's side-story. :D)
> 
> Slightly different twist on the story about the mirror. Also, the poll for Hans POV chapters is still up on FFnet, so feel free to submit your vote if you haven't yet... I'll leave it open for a little while longer.
> 
> For anyone wondering, you'll see more of Elsa and Hans/Anna in future chapters!


	27. A Protection Charm

The queen fiddled with her dip pen and stared at the collection of export documents on her father's old writing desk, dimly aware of the ticking clock on the bookshelf next to her. She had finished composing several letters of gratitude to various kingdoms that had sent dignitaries as guests to her coronation. Thank you letters were easy enough, but somehow it had taken her hours to complete the task. She'd had to light the lamp above the desk after dusk when she finally noticed she had to squint to see her writing.

Export and import documents were simpler. She merely had to read and sign her approval. She did it automatically, setting aside anything to do with ice until she could have a proper conversation with Kristoff Bjorgman about his new job.

Elsa sighed and set her pen down. She hadn't meant to think about him. In fact, she had been purposely avoiding it all day by completely pouring herself into her responsibilities. She had taken fish soup for lunch but barely stopped to eat until the afternoon had passed her by.

Now she reached for a pocket in her dress and took out the note a servant had handed her early that morning. Laying it flat on the table, she read the poor handwriting. She only knew the contents of the note now after having read it a dozen times that morning. Elsa looked off to the boarded window at the far side of her study, wondering if the repairman commissioned by Lord Harald would really be able to repair _all_ the castle windows by the end of the week.

She sighed, craning her head back in an unrefined manner, but feeling free enough to do so in her own company. How much more bearable things would be if everyone hadn't run off and just left her, she thought. She had sensed the ice harvester's discomfort of the castle, but hadn't anticipated he'd do something as reckless as Anna. The two were more alike than the queen had expected. No wonder they were friends.

 _Please don't come after me_ , he'd written. Elsa straightened herself in her seat and looked down at the note again. She couldn't leave the castle again when she had obligations—even though she wanted to. The note assured her that Kristoff did not intend to go up against the Ice Maiden on his own. But that did not put her worries to rest. If Kristoff was able to locate the Ice Maiden, or even to ascertain a way to thaw Kai, it would be a certain advantage to them. But if anything were to happen to him...

A suspiciously cheerful knock on the door pulled her away from her troubles. Elsa looked up. Before she could ask, the door opened and gave way to a waddling Olaf.

"It's just me!" he exclaimed, stopping when Elsa had seen him.

"Hi Olaf," she greeted him, smiling. "Could you get the door, please?" She pointed to indicate that it was still open. With an animated hop, Olaf jumped back to carefully shut the door.

"It's a nice place you've got here!" Olaf commented as he spun slowly to take in the dim study. "But why are you alone? I haven't seen you or Kristoff or Sven all day! Then the kitchens said you were up here... I can see why, I mean! It's kinda cozy! Though no place to sleep... you don't sleep on the floor, do you?"

Elsa giggled at her rambling little friend, shaking her head to reassure him. "No, silly! This isn't my bedroom. This is just a room for me to work in. You know. This is where I do queenly things."

"IIIII get it. Are queenly things hard?" he asked as he climbed up into a single chair by the window. It took him a moment to get his body and bottom properly oriented, but when he did, he sat and gave the queen his undivided attention.

"Hmm," Elsa said as she thought about it. "Sometimes!"

Olaf mouthed a surprised 'oh'. "Really?!"

She nodded, turning her chair around so she could face him if they were going to talk. "Yes... everyone thinks royalty can just do whatever it wants."

"But it can't?"

"Correct. That's how tyranny is born." It was something her father used to say at her lessons.

"Wow," Olaf said. "Well, that doesn't sound good."

Elsa agreed. "So that means I have to put aside my feelings sometimes... and do what's best for Arendelle, even if there are distractions. The kingdom must come first."

Olaf stared at her for a moment, the depth of his eyes betraying pity. Elsa was almost surprised by his understanding until he asked, "What kind of distractions?"

Elsa hesitated as her eyes swept the room for something to gaze at. Olaf was a dear friend, but she was wary of letting him see just how worried she was. She needed to be someone others could depend on.

"Anna's disappearance... Kai's condition... and now, Kristoff and Sven are gone too," she answered, watching the shock fall upon the little snowman.

Olaf shrieked. "Gone?! Gone where?"

Elsa wondered for a moment over whether or not to tell him. If she told him, would Olaf disappear on her too? Then she had to laugh at herself. For someone who had spent most of her life trying to keep herself away from others, she was awfully worried about being left on her own at the moment.

"They've gone to search for the Ice Maiden," she told him.

Again, Olaf shrieked. "They what?! That's crazy! She's trouble, Elsa! We don't even know what she was looking for! What if she was hungry? What if she eats them?!"

Elsa closed her eyes to steel herself against her own more plausible concern. What if the Ice Maiden made an ice sculpture out of Kristoff next?

"Kristoff... seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I don't think he'll get close enough to put himself in danger," she said quietly.

Anxious Olaf put his little stick fingers up to his mouth and just looked at Elsa, still alarmed. To her surprise, he gradually relaxed and hopped down from his seat to go to her. He gave her knee a sympathetic pat and looked up at her, realizing.

"You want to be out there with them," he said.

Astounded by the observation, Elsa hid this with a shrug. "I'm just frustrated, that's all."

"Because you're not there to protect Kristoff? Elsa... is that what you meant about royalty not always being able to do what it wants?"

Elsa said nothing, retreating into her thoughts. The ice harvester had been quick to guard her from the Ice Maiden's attack. More than just that, he had been a comfort in Anna's absence. Something about him put her at ease. It could well have been that he was completely graceless, and so she didn't feel the same social pressure to be perfect around him. Even with Anna, she had to play out the role of the older sister. She couldn't relax the same way she could when they were children—when their parents were still alive.

Olaf was talking, but she only started listening in time to catch the end. "… if you could protect him with your magic even from afar," the snowman pondered, pensively tweaking his carrot nose. He paced back and forth at her feet, oblivious to the fact that the queen had not attended each word.

"What did you say?" Elsa asked, suddenly alert.

Olaf froze in one spot and looked up at her. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No... what was that... about me using my magic from here?"

"Oh." Olaf smiled. "Well, you want him to be safe. But you can't be _there_ because you're _here_. But you have magic! So even though you're _here,_ maybe your magic can protect him _there_."

After a moment's confusion over Olaf's wording, Elsa considered the possibility. After all, her magic couldn't just be all ice and snow. She had thawed the kingdom with love!

She jumped up from her chair, suddenly smiling with budding confidence. "That's a great idea, Olaf!"

"It is?"

She laughed but sobered almost immediately. "Yes, but if only I knew what I was doing... I, I don't know even where he is, so how can I send protective magic to him?" Her brow furrowed when she hit this snag.

Olaf shrugged and gave it some thought. "Maybe it's enough if you just think about him?"

Elsa pulled a stray lock of platinum blonde behind her ear as she thought all too easily of Kristoff Bjorgman. She imagined him writing the note in her hands. She ignored the warmth that blossomed in her cheeks as she recalled his enthusiasm over ice; how perfect it was, how beautiful and how it was his _life_.

She shook off the blush as she recalled all he had done for her sister, Anna. If it had not been for Kristoff, Anna might never have had a chance to overcome the ice in her heart. Ice Elsa had put there.

Again, Elsa inwardly chided herself for her thoughts. _Cut it out and focus_ , she thought now. She felt Olaf's eyes on her, but the snowman was wise enough to give her silence so she could concentrate. She thought of the muscular blonde with broad shoulders. She thought of his unaffected mannerisms, his bashful smile and the voice he used to give dialogue to Sven the reindeer. Elsa closed her eyes and found herself smiling again. She recalled the innocent way he'd hugged her when she was falling apart over the attack on Kai. Kristoff Bjorgman had a pure soul that most definitely deserved protecting, she determined.

Then the strangest sensation washed over her. It wasn't a vision exactly. Although she could envision him, she couldn't _see_ Kristoff. But she felt his presence somehow. It was distant, but it was definitely him. She imagined him searching out there, unaware of hidden dangers. Elsa was certain that Kristoff could hold his own in the wilderness. It wasn't the wild she was worried about. It was those creatures under sway of the Ice Maiden.

She could not have explained how she knew to do it, but as she thought about Kristoff, she pulled all her power into her center and began weaving it. She could almost see the silver threads come together, shining. These she wrapped around Kristoff far away, effectively casting a remote protection charm around him. When she felt certain it surrounded him, she knew she had to 'tie' the charm, or it wouldn't work. For this purpose, she wrapped and tied the charm's threads about Kristoff's note. Olaf gasped when she finished. As Elsa opened her eyes, she both felt and saw why. After tying the protective spell around Kristoff's note, the note had vanished from her hands.

"Wow..." Olaf said in a hushed voice, as though afraid he'd put all Elsa's magic to waste. "Do you feel better now?"

Elsa nodded, her grin widening with her relief. "Maybe I could try it for Anna!" Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? She shivered with excitement as she closed her eyes to concentrate. Why cast a protection spell for Anna if she could just sense her location and _go_ to her? It had never even occurred to Elsa to try this before! Olaf was practically a genius!

She didn't have to think as hard to call up Anna in her mind. But there was one immediate problem. No matter what she thought about—Anna's freckles, Anna's laugh, the fun they had as children, the sacrifice Anna made to save Elsa—she could not sense Anna's presence the way she had done for Kristoff.

Elsa opened her eyes, frowning. "What could this mean?" Before she could prepare herself, the worst of possibilities assaulted her imagination. Maybe Anna was too far out of reach now. Maybe she was beyond Elsa's protection. Maybe Hans had gotten to her.

She almost sank to the floor in a panicky heap. But the study door banged open. Elsa and Olaf both jumped, closing in toward each other and staring at the doorway.

Elsa stopped herself from asking who dared interrupt her work when she watched the intruder enter the room. She glanced at Olaf and then looked to the door again, feeling the floor beneath her start to ice over as her panic flared.


	28. The Haunted Cove

"It's a hole!"

"No."

"Um... a teapot!"

"No again."

"Oh, oh! A teapot with wings!"

Hans's hand froze mid-scratch with Anna's cloak clasp still on the wall. He turned his head toward her and raised his eyebrow. "I just said it's not a teapot..."

"Er, right. Sorry!" Anna blinked a few times and then squinted at his drawing on the cell wall. "Hmm... go on, keep going."

The prince rolled his eyes before resuming his _artwork_ , ignoring Anna as she leaned around his other shoulder to watch. She chuckled inwardly at the eye roll. Hans could huff and puff all he liked; the game helped pass the time, he couldn't argue that. She kept her head facing his progress while she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, seeing just a hint of amusement on his face.

Besides, he seemed to be enjoying it.

"Is it some kind of bird with... _Hans_! Did you give a bird nipples?!" she guessed again, her brow furrowing as she thought he was having a laugh.

Hans actually snorted and stopped drawing once again, looking away from her. Anna noticed his shoulders shaking.

"Err, it's not? Sorry, I'm really bad at thi—" She cut herself short when Hans snorted again, this time letting out a peculiar sound through his teeth. "Are you—hey, are you laughing?!"

As if the question granted him permission, Hans leaned back against the cell wall and broke out into a fit of chuckles. He shook his head at her when she made to speak again. She watched him fold his arms and lean forward. He took a breath to keep a straight face and then he looked at her; the glow in those green eyes shocked her.

"Did I give a bird _what_? What's the matter with you?!" he asked, feigning indignation. Then he moved away from the wall to gesture at his work. "That's an elephant, Anna! An _elephant_!"

Anna tilted her head to give a second look, recognition slowly dawning on her freckly face. "Okay, I can see it now."

"Here," he said, taking her hand and settling her silver cloak clasp into it. "I think we're done."

Anna stared at her hand for a moment, then watched Hans walk to his cot. "Don't be a sore loser!"

"You lost that one," he said as he sat down. "Three guesses, you said. Anyway, look."

Her eyes followed his pointing finger to the score chart on another section of the wall. Sure enough, they'd been tied eight-to-eight. But with Anna's loss just now, Hans was the winner.

"Shall we see who gets to ten first?" she offered hopefully. She reattached the clasp to her cloak so she could wear it without having to hold it over herself now. Daylight was fading from the windows with the coming evening. With nighttime would come the cold. Anna highly doubted King Olaf would provide cozy quilts for her and Hans to keep warm. As it was, there were two thin blankets folded neatly at the end of each cot.

Hans shook his head. "It's a child's game."

 _That didn't stop you from playing seventeen rounds_ , she thought. She gave him a wry look.

"Don't be a sore loser," he said with a smile.

Anna refused to dignify his quip with a response. Instead she went over to her own cot. There she took a seat in the middle and reached for one of the folded blankets at the end. She was pleased for all of two seconds to find that they were thin but made of wool. Then she screeched and scrambled off of the cot when a gnarly spider skittered out from the blanket folds.

"What is it?" Hans asked, jumping to his feet. "Oh..."

"Don't say 'oh'!" she hissed, watching the spider's lightning-speed crawl to the wall. "That thing's the size of my hand!"

"That's an exaggeration."

"No, it isn't!"

"You have small hands."

Anna closed her mouth. She was just about to argue automatically. Instead she scowled over at him and suddenly grew self-conscious about her hands. Did he mean just small or abnormally small?!

"Do you want to switch?" Hans asked, oblivious to the effect of his commentary.

"Switch...?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. She looked from her feminine fingers over to Hans's own hands. She frowned, remembering his touch on her face.

"Though I can't promise there aren't spiders over here too," he responded.

"It's fine," she said. She had probably said it too quickly, but she didn't care. She set her jitters aside and plopped down on the cot once more, bravely grabbing hold of the wool blanket and shaking it out away from her to rid it of any possible remaining spiders. Nothing else crawled out. Satisfied, she draped it over her legs and sat back against the wall. She checked that the spider had crawled far enough away first, of course.

Hans shrugged and returned to his cot. Anna watched him lie down on his back with his head resting on his arms. Once again she found herself comparing this Hans to the villain in the library and the dashing price at the docks. He had the same copper-color hair, the same sideburns and the same nose. He looked like Hans; he sounded like Hans. But what did that even mean? She didn't actually know him, after all.

"Anna, you're staring," Hans remarked without looking away from the ceiling.

"Am not!" she snapped. She blushed, quickly looking toward the lone window.

"My mistake."

She could hear Hans smiling.

"What do you think Princess Kirsten is planning?" she asked, desperate to talk about anything else.

Footsteps approached from outside. Hans glanced to the door. In a low voice, he answered, "I think the less we talk about it, the better."

Keys rattled from outside as someone unlocked their cell. A guard with two trays appeared, another just behind him. The second guard stayed in the doorway, watching Hans like a hawk.

"Stay put until we're out. No funny business," the one with the trays barked.

"We wouldn't dream of funny business," Hans said.

The guard with the trays hesitated, looking at Hans as though trying to decide whether or not he had just been made fun of. Then with a shake of his head, he set the wooden trays down on the floor and stood back up.

"Right. We'll collect these in an hour, so eat up," he barked again. Then he and the other guard took their leave.

As soon as they were gone, Anna sprang down to the trays on the floor. Her heart sank at once as she lifted a piece of bread. It was hard as stone.

"It's no chocolate fondue, but you should eat," Hans said.

She bit back a scathing reply, annoyed with him for having brought up the chocolate fondue. At least he hadn't mentioned sandwiches.

Anna looked down at the tray again and regarded the glass of what appeared to be milk. Skeptical, she lifted the glass to her face and sniffed.

"Well at least it's not sour," she said before she took a cautious sip. Indeed, it wasn't all that bad. She lifted the bread next and carefully nibbled at the crust. It was stale, but edible. "Better than cucumber salad." She dipped the end of the bread into the milk and ate some more.

"Huh?" Hans said as he joined her on the floor. He pulled the other tray towards him and tried out the milk for himself. Anna thought she caught him grimace, but decided against pointing it out.

"Cucumber salad with really sour dressing. You've never had it?"

"I have. I just don't get what's so bad about it."

"Oh, it was fine until I had to eat it and _only_ it for a week. I had accidentally set the lesson room on fire and my parents thought feeding me my least favorite food for a while would persuade me not to leave burning candles unattended." She laughed nervously as she recalled the accident. Then she blanched and stuck her tongue out as sweet and sour cucumbers haunted her taste buds. "The funniest thing was that someone kept sneaking me other foods late at night. They'd wait till the whole castle was asleep, and then they'd knock. I'd answer the door only to find no one. But I would find a tray on the floor every night that week. They left me only the good stuff."

"The good stuff?"

"Yeah! Potato dumplings, cream puffs, veal, waffles, meatballs, fish, cheese cakes..." As she listed them off, she found herself salivating. She cleared her throat and took another sip of milk. "I always thought it was Kai. But now that I think about it, it must've been Elsa." Anna grinned over the probability. She'd have to remember to ask Elsa when she got home.

 _If I ever get home_.

"She sounds infinitely nicer than my brothers," Hans said. He too dipped his bread into the milk to make it easier to chew. He didn't seem to notice when Anna's eyes rested on him this time.

"Did three of them really pretend you didn't exist for two whole years?" she asked.

"Yes... but it wasn't entirely their fault."

"Wait, what?" It wasn't that she couldn't believe Hans was devious enough to provoke others into ignoring him. But she also couldn't believe he would pass up the chance to paint a favorable, victimized image of himself.

"When I was ten or so, our parents held a party on All Hallows' Eve for the youngest of us. The nobles were invited to send their children. It was meant as a means for us to get to know our peers outside of the most formal settings."

Anna felt her eyes sparkling. It was a shame her parents had never done anything like that for her and Elsa. Well, there was all the concern over Elsa's powers, of course. Naturally, they would not have thought to invite too many people to the castle or, well, anyone. Ever.

She sighed, making Hans pause. "Wow. Go on, please." Hans was just about to continue when she grabbed his arm. "Did all of you dress up?!"

"...you mean costumes?"

Anna nodded vehemently. Hans nodded as an answer, looking startled as Anna grinned.

"Sorry, you can continue now."

"You sure?" he asked, braced for another interruption. Anna drank the last of her milk, wiped away her liquid mustache and set the glass down. Then she nodded, resting her hands in her lap and waiting to hear more. "Okay then... I'm the youngest, as you know. Before me are Samuel and Daniel, twins a year older than me. They're rather close to the tenth of us, Emil. He's three years older than me."

Anna bobbed her head along, trying to imagine Hans's brothers. Were they all redheads, like him?

As if he'd read her mind, Hans said, "Sam and Dan take after my father. They're tall and broader than myself, both dark eyed and dark haired. Emil's more wiry. Also dark haired.

"We got along all right when we were all very young. But at this age, boys start playing pranks on one another... this time, the prank went a bit far." He paused to finish the last of his bread. Anna felt flushed as she watched him eat.

_What's wrong with me?!_

"It was mainly the twins. But Emil was the one who brought up the cove."

"The cove?" Anna blinked.

"Right. Oh, sorry. Of course, our kingdom spans across several islands. There are many coves. I'm referring to the haunted cove."

Anna stared at him. "Ha-haun-haunted?!"

"So the stories say. It gives people the creeps, so no one really goes there. Unfortunately for me, Sam must have seen it on my face. He and Daniel suddenly would not leave me alone about it." He paused, seeing the vexation on her face. "That's just the way boys are. It would have been fine if I'd admitted Emil's story had scared me. But I would have lost face."

"Sure, sure," Anna said, waving off his explanation as though it were the silliest thing she'd ever heard. "So then what? What was the prank?"

"There's this rock at the center of the cove... a mini-island, if you will. They dared me to spend an hour there alone that night to prove I wasn't scared. So they took me out in a boat and left me there. They were supposed to come get me after the hour. Only they didn't."

Anna groaned. "That's awful!"

"So they left me there all night."

"Ugh!" She lay back on the floor, trying to refrain from saying anything untoward. Hans could be lying, after all. She was surprised to hear Hans laugh. The sound made her lean up on her elbows.

"It wasn't that bad. I mean, I was terrified... for a good part of the night, I kept seeing and hearing things. A woman—ghost—calling out to me. That was just the fear, no doubt. But what was worse than being scared was the cold. It probably wasn't _that_ bad, but at the time, I thought I would freeze!"

Anna shook her head at his brothers' cruelty. Even if they hadn't meant to harm Hans, it had obviously damaged him. "Couldn't you swim back?"

"I was too scared," Hans explained. "My brothers said there were monsters in the water that would eat me."

"Horrible! So how did you get home?"

Hans hesitated, almost looking through Anna at the memory. "Felix, one of the older brothers, overheard the twins gloating with each other. So he sent a servant to fetch me."

Anna expected him to say more, but he sat still and quietly with one arm draped over his knees bent up against him. She stared at him, thinking over the story. Sometimes she had wished for more siblings when she was growing up, but now she considered that she may have been lucky.

"I don't get it," she said. "They did something so mean-spirited, but they were the ones who ignored you?"

"Well," Hans answered, coming back to life. He stood up off the floor and walked back to his cot. "They got into an awful lot of trouble with my parents. Mother, especially. They blamed me."

Anna stood up as well, going back to her own cot. "It's only natural you would tell your parents what they'd done. You could have drowned, been kidnapped, robbed or gotten sick!" She sat, crossing her arms at the thought of siblings being so thoughtless toward one another.

"Oh, I never told. That was Felix."

She would have missed it if she hadn't looked across at him. It happened so quickly, she thought at first she imagined it. She only looked up because she'd heard it in his voice. Sure enough, it had crossed his face too: a look of warm affection as Hans talked about his older brother. Even as the warmth faded, the smile was still there.

She had to ask.

"You and this other brother, you're close?"

"Not particularly." His smile vanished.

"But..."

"But he was the one who taught me—pretty early on—that as the youngest of thirteen princes, things wouldn't just be handed to me. I'd constantly have to prove myself." His voice cut between bitterness and appreciation.

Anna sat still, absorbing the story he had just shared with her. She wanted to ask why Hans had never told the twins that it hadn't been him who'd told their parents about the prank. She wanted to know what Hans meant by Felix being the one to teach him that the youngest prince had to prove himself. More questions ignited one after another. But she kept them at bay.

There was yet another side to Hans. She had seen glimpses of it back in the forest; frightened, confused eyes. He was letting himself be... vulnerable.

Part of her felt how difficult it must have been for him. _That still doesn't excuse his behavior_ , the other half hissed. Then it all hit her at once again:

Hans ran into her with his horse. He didn't mind that she wasn't the queen. They fell all over each other in the boat. She made a complete idiot of herself. He waved to her at the coronation. They danced afterward. They talked and sang. He laughed with her. He wanted to marry her. He wanted her. He was her first love. He took care of Arendelle when she left to search for Elsa. He was supposed to melt the ice in her heart with an act of true love.

Instead, he broke her heart, left her to die and tried to murder her sister.

Anna held back a sigh. She leaned back and immediately turned over to face the wall so that she could not look at him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first off - the Hans POV poll on FFnet is closed. It was 50/50, so I'm going with my gut and not adding Hans POV chapters right now. I don't feel it would fit in. There may be a moment for it later on or I may do a separate companion piece. But for now, no Hans POV.
> 
> Happy Halloween, guys! =) Would you be able to spend an entire night alone at a "haunted" place?


	29. A Dangerous Rumor

The little snowman pawed at the queen's skirt. "Elsa," he murmured, though his wide eyes did not move off of the man at the door.

The silent pause lasted only two seconds before the intruder bowed in the doorway. "The Lord of Grimmstad wishes to speak with you at once, Your Majesty. It's a matter of import." His ashy blonde braid dangled over his shoulder with the movement. He was not one of Elsa's guards, though he donned a similar uniform. His, however, was paler in color. The design splayed across his coat shoulders was simply black on green.

The queen narrowed her eyes at him. "You are Lord Harald's man?" she asked.

"Yes. Liam, Your Majesty. Please forgive the intrusion. His Lordship stressed that it was an emergency."

Liam's voice was grave. He looked to be about Anna's age, though less forthright. His earthen eyes blinked back secrets as he awaited her response. He carried a hawkish nose and his jawline look chiseled. He stood pin straight, unnervingly comfortable with eye contact.

"Very well," Elsa finally said.

"Elsa," Olaf whispered, tapping at her knee to get her attention. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"It's okay, Olaf," she assured him, smiling more for his benefit than out of confidence.

"Lord Harald wishes to speak to you alone," Liam quickly stated once he saw that Olaf was planning to accompany the queen. Elsa and Olaf both stopped short.

"But why?" Olaf asked.

"It's all right, Olaf. We can meet again in the morning," Elsa suggested.

"But..." Olaf trailed off upon seeing Elsa shake her head.

"Oh, and Liam?" the queen looked back up to Harald's servant. She caught him staring at Olaf with his nose wrinkled in disgust. When Liam's attention shifted to her, Elsa frowned. "Next time, knock. That's a command."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he answered, not sounding the least bit intimidated.

After one last assuring glance over her shoulder to Olaf, Elsa followed Liam out of her study. He led her to the end of the corridor and upstairs to a part of the castle he should not have been familiar with, in her opinion. The third floor rooms had been used exclusively by her parents long ago. Elsa never felt right about claiming them for herself even after the coronation. She preferred her room and study on the same floor as Anna's room.

"Where is he?" Elsa asked, her alarm growing by the minute.

"Just this way," Liam replied. He stopped at a double door and opened it for Elsa.

She tried to keep an impassive face as she stepped into her parents' former sitting room. There was the old stone fireplace on the left wall, its innards alive and crackling with flame. Its light was more welcoming than the lanterns' along the walls. Queen Iduna had told her daughters many a story in two high-backed chairs just there when the girls were little. Anna had always insisted on taking their mother's lap. Elsa, the older and more 'dignified' daughter, was happy with her own chair.

Portraits took up the higher space on the walls. The largest of these was a family portrait sharing a wall with the door she had entered from. Elsa looked back at it now with a pang of longing. The sisters must have been 8 and 11 at the time? She smiled, recollecting the great challenge it was for Anna to stand still for so long. She kept wanting to run over to the painter to see her progress.

The French balcony doors groaned as Liam pulled them open. "Out here, Your Majesty," he called.

Elsa followed him outside and found Lord Harald on the balcony. For a moment, she was angry to find him there. This had been her parents' space. What was he doing up here?

She reined in that anger when she recalled he had been regent. This had been Lord Harald's dwelling for those few years before she came of age. Even so, Lord Harald seemed too comfortable here.

She cut straight to the point. "What is this about, Harald?"

Lord Harald turned around, startling Elsa with his somberness. "I was hoping you might be able to tell me, Your Majesty." He gestured out into the twilight beyond the balcony. She had to step up to look out and see what he meant.

Elsa held in a gasp, but immediately felt herself trembling. Down in the courtyard was a crowd of villagers with torches and lanterns. They encircled a single, motionless figure which Elsa recognized at once as Kai.

"But how... He was..." she started to murmur, but she caught herself. She could hear the townspeople's distant cries and shouts of accusation and fright.

"Liam brought this … scene to my attention," Lord Harald explained, coming up beside her at the balcony rail. "My Queen," he continued, making her cringe. "Of course I don't want to jump to any... unreasonable... conclusion. However, this..." He spread his arm out to indicate the chaos below. "This does not look good. Not at all. Forgive me for having to ask, but was there some sort of accident perhaps?"

 _An accident_? It took a moment before his implication struck. He thought she did that to Kai. He thought she was capable of such a thing? And if Lord Harald thought it possible, then the townspeople below surely thought it.

"That was not my doing!" Elsa snapped, her hands tightly gripping the balcony railing. She felt as though she'd fall over if she did not hold onto something. Her head began to swim with panic. _Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Don't let him see._ She chanted her mantra within.

"Of course, you would not have meant to," Lord Harald replied, looking over at her. "The rumor going around below is that your servant—"

"Kai," Elsa interrupted. "His name is Kai." _He sat with us when you imposed your council upon me. Or don't you remember?_

Lord Harald drew himself up and then let out a short sigh. "That Kai got in the way of your seeking out Princess Anna."

Elsa breathed deeply as she prepared herself for what he would say next.

"It has been suggested that in an emotional outburst, you... lost control. That you turned him into ice."

Elsa simply held herself still, the gravity of his words settling over her shoulders like an invisible boulder. Of course people would talk. She was the Snow Queen. Naturally, they'd suspect her. It had been mere days since she set an accidental blizzard upon the entire kingdom. How could they possibly trust her?

The Lord of Grimmstad cleared his throat. "I can see that you're shocked. Perhaps it'd be best if you just step behind the scenes until we can prove your innocence to the people."

"Do you believe I did this?" Elsa asked.

With a sigh, the noble shook his head. "I don't want to believe it," he said. "But if it wasn't you, then who?"

Elsa hesitated, studying him without meeting his eyes. She considered the very real possibility that Lord Harald had been the one to put Kai on display in the courtyard. She had dropped her makeshift ice key to the storage room when he approached her on the prior evening. She'd thought it would have just melted, but perhaps...

"Your Majesty?"

"There is something I did not tell you," she began. "I thought there'd be a risk of widespread panic if too many people found out. It's about the attack on the castle. I know who the perpetrator was. It was the same person who's responsible for Kai's current state."

"Who but you has such power?"

"We've been calling her the Ice Maiden... and yes, her powers appear to be very similar to mine. She might even be stronger," Elsa admitted. She waited for Lord Harald to express indignation or disbelief, but he just gaped into space, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to think of what to say. "She has not only attacked the castle. There was an attack on the trolls in the forest as well."

"Trolls?!" Lord Harald said. Elsa cringed. Was she giving him too much to process? Would he doubt her?

But if he _was_ trying to get the people to mistrust her, perhaps this news of an outside enemy would make him think twice. After all, he would need her to stand up to an opponent as formidable as the Ice Maiden. If he believed in the Ice Maiden, at least.

"There are trolls in the forest?"

Elsa nodded.

"Are they dangerous?"

"No," she answered quickly. "They're peace-loving. They don't always give the best advice, but they have good intentions." She thought back to how the troll elder had frightened her about her powers when she was just a girl.

"But why would this ice woman attack Arendelle?"

Elsa frowned. "I don't know yet."

Lord Harald sighed again, turning his back to the scene in the courtyard. "I don't believe you would make up stories, but I hope you understand why I'd be skeptical. Trolls? An Ice witch attacks for no apparent reason?"

"Neither of which are any more shocking than the Snow Queen of Arendelle," Elsa snapped.

Lord Harald nodded after a moment's pause. He looked out over the courtyard once more, his eyes flickering in thought.

Elsa looked down too. She cringed as she watched one person below bring their torch directly up to Kai, as though testing to see whether the flame would melt him. Quick as lightning, Elsa flittered her fingers to once again re-enforce the protective barrier about Kai. Each time she did it, it was easier to cast. She felt sure he was safe from any overly-curious villagers now.

"You look so weary. Won't you rest?" Lord Harald said. Elsa was stunned by his genuine concern. Could she or could she not trust him? She clenched her teeth to keep from yawning. As soon as he pointed it out, fatigue hit her like an avalanche.

"I can't leave him down there," Elsa said.

"I'll take care of it. I promise," he assured her. "In return, will you promise me to get some sleep? We will need to have a longer conversation tomorrow. I think it best if we inform the other nobility of what you shared with me just now."

Elsa's brow creased with worry. What if none of them believed her?

"I'm on your side, Your Majesty. Please don't worry."

She looked at him again. With Kristoff and Anna gone, there was no one else to place her trust in. There was Olaf, of course. But he was a snowman unaccustomed to politics and humans. Could she possibly rely on Lord Harald?

Finally, Elsa nodded. "All right. I'm counting on you."

* * *

She cut through the water like a knife. Her long, pale hair trailed behind her. On any other day, she would have taken her time. She would have combed her fingers through the water and stopped for gossip with the sirens. She even used to go watch the dolphin races with her father. But today was different.

Now the sun was about to set on the end of the week. It was her favorite time of her favorite day. She wouldn't miss it for the all the seas.

She waved to passing schools of fish, to crawling, hidden things in the plant life below and to the crustaceans on the sea floor. She was too far from home to encounter any of her own kind, but that was for the best. She was not meant to be this close to inhabited shores.

The sky already burned amber through the glittering marine barrier above. She kicked her copper tail back and glided upward as she entered the cove, moving with purpose.

She only surfaced once the solitary island came into view. She was always careful about it. There was always a risk that another human might spot her; one human in her life was complicated enough.

The air felt strange against her blue eyes. Stranger still was the sensation of having to wipe the sea water away from them. When her eyes were clear, she spotted the lone fishing boat. He'd dragged half of it up upon the island and left the tail end in the water. She grinned when she saw him sitting with his back toward her part of the water. Then, with the stealth of a scorpionfish, she swam up to the edge of the rock island, moving so slowly that the water made no noticeable sound. She relished in planning how to make her presence known. Finally, she decided upon whistling with her fingers—a trick she'd learned from him. It didn't work all that well under the sea. But on the surface, it tickled her ears!

Her fisherman started and turned. Her heart skipped a beat when he saw it was her, for his face went from frightened to peaceful. Then he ran to her, laughing. That sound was more beautiful to her than anything else she had heard out of the sea.

There they talked for hours. She would bring gifts from the sea—a pearl this time. He'd recite human poetry, a thing she did not appreciate at first but came to love over time. Tonight he begged her to sing to him. Normally she preferred not to. She was no siren, after all. But his silver eyes and tender kisses had won her over in the end.

So she sang. Only, she found she had no control over the words as they poured out of her:

"I'd like to light a candle

And hang it in the deep,

So when you can't be near me,

This love of mine will keep.

Into the tide I'll whisper

A tune to help you sleep.

And that way when we've parted,

You'll never need to weep."

* * *

Anna opened her eyes and sat up slowly, her blanket slipping off of her. She blinked at the dark stone walls surrounding her and tried to calm her aching heart. Why was she so sad?

That's right; she was in the dungeons. She'd nearly forgotten.

There was humming on the other side of the cell. It was a familiar tune. Hadn't she heard just it?

She thought of waking Hans to see if he could hear it too. But then she realized _he_ was the one humming. Intrigued, Anna slid off of the cot as noiselessly as she could manage.

Hans was on his side; moonlight washed over him. As Anna crept closer, she could see he held the missing page from the hunter's log. She recognized the drawing of the ice woman who reminded her of Elsa. She froze in place and watched Hans move his thumb over the illustration; the motion made it look like he was stroking her hair.

Anna thought better of 'interrupting' and whirled around to tiptoe back to her cot. She nearly made it without alerting Hans. But when she climbed back into her resting place, the cursed cot squeaked beneath her weight.

The humming instantly stopped. Slowly, Anna looked back over her shoulder. She expected Hans to turn over and tease her.

But he didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter earlier than planned because I was particularly excited to write this dream of Anna's. :D Thanks for reading/commenting!


	30. The Robber Girl

A sharp kick landed in Kristoff's back, tearing the ice harvester out of a deep sleep. Kristoff leaned away and turned to glare at his assailant. He found himself looking up at a sturdy bald man with a salt-and-pepper beard and eyebrows. The man's smile was friendly, but that didn't stop Kristoff from yelling at him.

"What's wrong with you?!" he snapped.

The older man's smile did not falter. "Nothing, friend. We're breaking camp. It's time to get up."

"Egon!" the middle-aged woman called. Both Kristoff and 'Egon'—Kristoff preferred to think of him as 'Egg' because of his head—looked as she poured water from a pail over the extinguished campfire embers. She had a round, kind face. Though when she saw Egon had not left Kristoff alone, she gave the two of them a look that told Kristoff she was not one to be trifled with.

"Relax, Helmine," Egon said. He gave Kristoff a final smile before joining the woman.

Still irked at being woken so rudely, Kristoff stood and merely watched the robbers pack up their things. He thought he caught the carrot top shake his head at him for just standing there. But no one barked at him for assistance. Why should he assist thieves?

Within the hour, they were on the move through the trees. Egon and Helmine led the way with a few men behind them to guide the robbers' animals. Carrot top walked alongside Kristoff, starting out with the threat that the ice harvester would get a knife in his back if he tried to run from the party. Kristoff noticed with some irritation that the red flight boots were tied and tucked under the carrot top's pack. At least he knew where they were.

Behind him walked a young, quiet woman with long blonde hair. Every so often, the carrot top would look over his shoulder and try to talk to her, but she'd just cut the conversation short with the briefest of replies. Each time this happened, Kristoff smirked to himself.

"I'm just throwing this out there," Kristoff said, the smile creeping over his face again. "But it sounds like she doesn't want to talk to you."

"No one asked you," the carrot top said, his eyes ablaze.

Now, the thing Kristoff found _most_ odd—for they were a ragtag bunch who didn't all even _look_ like criminals—was that Maija and Sven made up the tail of the party. In fact, Maija was probably the strangest member of the group. Whose child was she? Why was she traveling with robbers? Were they all related or what?

Kristoff looked back to check on Sven. The reindeer's eyes were on the ground he walked. Maija's hand was on Sven's neck, gently petting him as she too stared at the ground.

Kristoff shook his head. Was no one worried a wolf might sneak up on them? Maija, small thing that she was, could be picked off easily. He knew Sven would defend her as best he was able, but it just seemed odd to leave the little girl alone back there. With one more quick glance behind him, Kristoff wondered if Sven had revealed that he could speak. If not, why was the little robber girl so interested in him? Were they planning to trade him or eat him?

Kristoff shuddered at his dark thoughts. He would _not_ let them separate him from Sven, no matter what threats they made. He recalled then that Sven said it had been Maija's idea to trade Kristoff off. He almost laughed at himself for having worried about her. Whatever Maija was, she didn't seem to be like other little girls.

Later in the day, Kristoff realized by the movement of the sun that the robbers were taking him northwest. When they stopped to rest at midday, he asked a man who looked too young for his beard where exactly they were headed. The man looked bored, holding the chestnut mare by a lead rope.

"The coast," he answered.

"Don't be tellin' him nothin', Karl!" Egon yelled over. The bald man smiled when Kristoff glanced over at him, scowling.

Well, little did they know that Kristoff had wanted to head to the coast anyway. Sure, he had wanted to go east as the coast went farther north that way. There were tales of magical beings that lived in the water. The northeastern shore was known to be more isolated, which was why Kristoff had decided to start there. But maybe he would find something even to the west. He would just have to get away from the robbers beforehand so they couldn't put him on some slavers' boat and ship him who knows where.

Helmine came to him with a waterskin held out. He accepted and took liberal swigs from it.

"Slow down. You can hold onto that for the rest of the journey," Helmine said, a small smile playing on her lips. Kristoff lowered the waterskin and raised his eyebrow.

"You seem different from the rest of them," he said.

When Helmine laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkled. "Do I?" she asked.

They continued on until dusk, stopping for two short rests in the afternoon. When it came time to make camp, they sent Kristoff off with Audo and Rosalind—carrot top and the solemn young woman—to collect firewood. Kristoff rolled his eyes at this, but followed the two out of the clearing. They separated through the trees, Kristoff and Audo collecting the bulkier pine and birch while Rosalind gathered kindling. It was painful to listen to Audo talk to Rosalind. It wasn't what he said, for he tried talking about almost everything: the trees, the weather, Egon's short temper, Rosalind's recovering scratch, a dream Audo had, etc. But each topic was met with the same lack of enthusiasm. Kristoff suspected that Audo knew Rosalind had no interest in him, which only made it all the more excruciating.

"It's been weeks, Ros! Why are you torturing yourself like this?" Audo asked, helping the blonde steady herself as she nearly tripped and lost her bundle.

"Would you let it go already?! I don't want to talk about it!" Rosalind hissed.

"I've known you just as long as he has! Why don't you just give me a chance?!" Audo pressed.

Kristoff sighed and shook his head as the two of them broke into an argument which he had no idea was about. They became so focused on tearing into each other that they didn't even notice as he drifted away from them. He mused over how he could probably make an escape then and there, only he could not leave Sven behind. So he headed back to camp, leaving the young couple to their lovers' quarrel or whatever it was.

No one back at the clearing seemed to notice his return without his escorts. They were all too caught up building the fire ring, unpacking blankets and cooking tools. Two others were missing, perhaps gone to hunt. Kristoff left his collected tinder at the fire ring and looked around for Sven. Again, Sven was kept apart from the other animals, roped off to a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. Kristoff wondered at this.

He made it try to look as though he were keeping out of the way. He moved his eyes from robber to robber, each one absorbed in his or her task. He stopped a few feet short of Sven and clicked his tongue to get Sven's attention. The reindeer looked at him with some concern.

"I found out we're going to the coast," Kristoff whispered.

"Hey!" someone yelled. Kristoff cringed as one of the men walked up to him. He looked like he could have been Rosalind's older brother, the resemblance was so strong.

"Sorry, sorry..." Kristoff muttered, stepping back toward the center of the campsite. So they didn't want him talking to Sven, fine. He'd wait until no one would notice.

Suddenly, it occurred to him. Kristoff looked around. Helmine greeted Audo and Rosalind as they returned. Kristoff assumed that Egon and Manfrid, another man, had been sent to get food. The man who resembled Rosalind now went back to feeding the two reindeer and the mare. Karl was seated on a rock by the fire ring, sharpening knives. But Maija was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

The next morning found Kristoff seething as he followed the line of robbers with Audo beside him again. He was definitely over Egon's wake up kicks. Some part of him hoped they would reach the trading post before he had to camp with them again. Of course he planned to escape before that.

Eventually they came to a loud tributary and followed it until it was time to stop for water. Here Audo and Egon thought it would be funny to push Kristoff over when he bent to fill his waterskin. He caught himself just in time before he plunged face-first into the water. When he whirled around, fuming, he saw the two men holding their sides as they laughed.

"Did you see his face?!" Audo shouted.

Egon sobered up when he did, in fact, see Kristoff's face. "It was only a joke, friend."

"Oh, yes. Hilarious!" Kristoff went again to refill his skin, this time without taking his eyes off of the two troublemaking robbers. The entertainment came to an end when Helmine called to the two men. They left Kristoff brooding.

After enough rest, the group followed the course of the river. They had to climb a rocky hill at one point where the water fell off a nine foot drop. Luckily the animals were able to make it up with little trouble. Kristoff was surprised the horse wasn't more reluctant, but he supposed she may have been used to the robbers' odd treks through the forest.

After the crest of the hills, the trees began to thin out. Kristoff walked along, now accustomed to the back and forth of Audo's comments and Rosalind's short replies. He glanced once over his shoulder at little Maija walking with Sven again.

"So did you kidnap her or what?" Kristoff asked Audo, feeling daring.

"What?!" Audo snorted in some confusion as Kristoff interrupted his latest flirtations.

"Maija. What is she doing traveling with you people?"

" _You people?"_ Audo repeated with some indignation.

"She's what," Kristoff asked, "Nine? Ten? And you take her around with you while you steal and kidnap people?" He was startled to see Manfrid glance back at him. The question had been intended to annoy Audo, nothing more. Although, Kristoff _was_ curious.

"We take _her_ around?" Audo said. He followed the question with an incredulous laugh, which only confused Kristoff.

"Yeah. What kind of example are you setting?"

"We didn't choose her," Manfrid said coldly. He had come to a halt in front of them. "She chose us."

Audo stopped laughing. Kristoff raised his eyebrow. What exactly did that mean, that Maija chose them?

"What's the hold-up?" Maija asked as she came up from around the end of the line, guiding Sven to follow. Rosalind, Manfrid and Audo all stood silently around Kristoff.

"I don't know," Kristoff answered, honestly confused. He looked down at the little girl. Her dark eyes blinked back at him, making him wonder how someone so small and innocent could seem so calculating.

Maija turned her head toward Rosalind. "I'll be at the front," she said. Without looking at him, she added, "And thank you for the concern, Kristoff." Then she led Sven up past the line of robbers ahead of them, leaving Kristoff with his mouth hanging open. After that, he didn't ask any more questions.

They made camp at the edge of the forest overlooking flatlands that stretched to the coast. Again Kristoff was instructed to collect wood for fire with Audo. When they returned, he noticed that Maija was absent from the camp again. This time she was the only one gone.

 _How can they just let her go off on her own?_ he thought. He thought better of asking again, however.

After supper, the robbers gathered around the fire and even invited Kristoff to sit with them for a story. He picked a spot to sit as far away from Audo and Egon as possible; they had become his least favorite members of the group. Once everyone was comfortable, Manfrid spoke.

* * *

_Long ago, in another kingdom, there was once a queen who sat sewing at a window one winter day when it began to snow. The window frame was black ebony. As she sewed, the queen leaned through the window to look out at the snow and pricked her finger on her sewing needle. Three drops of blood fell upon the snow on the ground. As she looked down at the red on white, she thought how lovely it would be to have a child white as snow, red as blood and black as ebony._

_Some time later, the queen did give birth to such a child—a daughter. The child's name was Snow White. But soon after, the queen died._

_A year later, Snow White's father, the king, took another wife. The new queen was beautiful, but proud and haughty. She could not bear the thought of anyone's beauty surpassing her own. She carried around a round compact mirror, to which she would gaze at her reflection and ask, "Mirror, mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?"_

_For a time, the mirror always answered, "You, O Queen, you are the fairest in the land."_

_Not long after the marriage, the king passed away. Life in the castle went on. But when Snow White grew into a child, she grew lovelier and lovelier. And when Snow White was eight years old, the mirror's answer changed. One day, alone in her chambers, the queen asked as always, "Mirror, mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?"_

_"You are fair, O Queen, 'tis true. But Snow White will be more beautiful than you."_

_This new answer shocked and enraged the queen. She became engulfed with envy. From that moment on, whenever she looked upon the princess, her heart grew cold with hate. The jealousy gnawed at her night and day until she had no peace. One day, she decided she must do something about it._

_The queen summoned a huntsman and ordered him to take the princess into the forest. "I will no longer have her in my sight. Kill her and bring me her lung and liver as proof."_

_The huntsman obeyed and led Snow White into the forest. But when he was about to pierce her heart and kill her, the princess wept and begged him to let her live. "I shall run away into the forest and never be seen again," she promised._

_As she was so beautiful and innocent, the huntsman took pity on her. "Go then, child. Run." As she fled, he thought how she would probably not last long in the forest on her own. Letting her go was almost the same as having killed her._

_On his way home, the huntsman stopped and killed a doe. Then he cut out its lung and liver to bring back to the queen. The queen ordered the cook the salt them and then she feasted, thinking she was eating the lung and liver of the dead princess._

_But now Snow White was lost, alone and afraid in the dark forest. The huge trees seemed menacing and terrified her. She began to run over sharp stones and through thorns. Wild beasts ran past her but did her no harm._

_Then she came to a cottage. The cottage was small but as clean as could be. She let herself in and found a table set for seven. Against the wall stood seven little beds. She was so hungry that she helped herself to some bread and vegetables from the table. She also drank a drop of wine from each mug. She only took a little from each so as not to take all from just one. When she was finished, she found herself so tired that she picked one of the seven little beds and fell asleep there._

_After dark, the cottage dwellers came home. They were seven dwarves who dug and mined in the mountains for ore. They noticed immediately that someone had eaten from their table. Then they found the intruder lying in one of their beds._

_"Oh heavens," they cried. "What a lovely child!"_

_They took a liking to her immediately and decided to let her sleep instead of waking her up. When she did wake, she was frightened at first that the dwarves were angry with her. But they kindly asked how she came upon their cottage. She told them her story and they took great pity on her._

_"If you help us keep the cottage clean, you may stay here and you will never want for anything," they told her._

_So she stayed with them. They went out to the mountains in the morning to mine for copper and gold. She kept the house clean and cooked meals with food they brought her. They were very good and kind to her. But they warned her that the evil queen would no doubt one day discover she is still alive. It would only be a matter of time before the queen would come looking for her._

_"Be sure to let no one into the cottage," they warned her._

_Meanwhile the queen, believing Snow White to be dead and gone, was pleased to believe that her status as the most beautiful in the land was in no danger. Again she asked her compact mirror, "Mirror, mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?"_

_"You, O Queen, are fair to see._ _But there is one still destined to be prettier than thee._ _Snow White is still alive and well, for with the mountain dwarves she dwells."_

_This news astounded the vain queen, for she knew her compact mirror never lied. She also now knew that the huntsman had betrayed her and that the hateful princess was still alive._

_And so she thought for a long time, for as long as Snow White could grow lovelier than her, she would have no peace. At last she thought of something to do and painted her face and threw on a disguise to make herself appear like an old woman..._

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Kristoff started along with the robbers, turning in unison toward the source of the voice. Maija had returned to camp, a slew of small, dead furry animals in her arms. Rabbits, Kristoff figured. But his mouth dropped open. Did Maija go out to kill all of those herself?

"Get the pot ready. I'm hungry," she said, narrowing her eyes at Manfrid. "You know I don't like that version."

Manfrid smiled in apology as the other robbers got up to get to work preparing the cookware and meal.

The atmosphere of the camp completely changed with Maija's presence. There were no more stories told by the fire after supper. Everyone seemed more or less ready to sleep right away. As Kristoff made himself comfortable on a patch of grass, he noticed Maija was the only one left directly by the fire. Everyone else had chosen a place closer to the trees to settle down for the night.

Kristoff thought of going over to the little girl. As oddly mature as she was, Maija was still a child. She looked lonely sitting by herself. Why had she been so touchy about the Snow White story? The other robbers had seemed particularly cautious around her after she cut the story-telling sort. Was she just a temperamental child?

Maija's head turned toward him as if she'd grown conscious that someone was staring at her. Kristoff gave her a nervous wave and then turned over, unnerved by the child's awareness.

 _Time to sleep,_ he thought.

* * *

It smelled like snow. He woke up shivering. When he opened his eyes, he was looking up at falling flakes. First he thought of Elsa. Then he heard a shout.

Kristoff sat up and found the camp in chaos. Steam curled up from the doused fire at the center of everything. Behind the dead fire, two snowy white figures rummaged through the robbers' packs.

"Attack!" Maija shouted. The robbers leapt up to their feet, weapons in hand.

"What are they?!" Helmine cried, trying to calm the animals. Egon stepped in front of her, ready to protect her if any of the creatures turned their way.

"They've been following us," Maija yelled. "I tried to cover our tracks, but apparently that wasn't enough." She pulled a knife from her belt and threw it at one of the ice maidens going through the packs. When the point hit the back of its neck, the creature stopped what it was doing and turned its head around to snarl at Maija. Then it stood and pulled the knife out, swirling it in its hand as it stalked toward the girl.

 _So that's what she was doing when she was away from the camp?_ Kristoff wondered, dumbfounded. Then it registered as he watched Maija back away from the ticked off ice creature. That thing was going to hurt her. Kristoff made to charge in and pull Maija to safety when Audo came running out with an axe in his hands. He stopped a foot short of the ice maiden and howled like a madman as he swung for her neck. Kristoff breathed out a sigh of relief as Maija skittered away from the two and ran to Manfrid.

The ice maiden slid backwards and out of the axe's reach just in time. Then she screeched and lunged for Audo, tackling him to the ground.

"Karl!" Rosalind cried. But rather than Karl, it was the blonde man who came to her aid—the man Kristoff had assumed was Rosalind's brother. Rosalind had taken on the other ice maiden, but it appeared hand-to-hand combat was not something she was confident about.

The mare whinnied and jumped. Kristoff looked to Helmine and Egon. Three more ice maidens were coming toward them through the trees.

Audo's shouts and curses once again drew Kristoff's attention. The redhead had his axe laid up across himself with both hands on it to keep his attacker off of him. The ice maiden's eyes had gone red and her open mouth revealed snarling fangs with which she clearly planned to tear Audo's throat with. Kristoff moved to help when he thought of Sven. _Sven!_ He looked around wildly for sight of his friend, awash with relief when he found him once again alone and roped off to a tree.

Kristoff did hesitate with some guilt over Audo. But then he saw Karl creep up and kick the ice creature off of Audo. The carrot top scrambled to stand and now both men faced off the fanged ice maiden.

Again, Kristoff looked at Sven. If he was going to get away, now was probably his only chance. He bolted across the campsite toward Sven, blocking out the clash and shouts all around him when he saw the fear on Sven's face. He almost made it to Sven when the Ice Maiden stepped out in front of him. Kristoff's eyes widened as he held back his momentum before he ended up crashing into her. The leaves beneath his feet now wet with snow almost made him slip, but he was able to catch himself.

"You again," he said, hoping to conjure up some bravery.

With a click, knife-like claws spiked out from the Ice Maiden's fingertips. When she stepped toward him, Kristoff took a step back and gulped. "Whoa, I didn't mean to be unfriendly just now! Just, um, fancy seeing you again?" he said. Nope. Talking to her most definitely did not make him feel brave. It made him feel stupid. Kristoff heard Egon and Helmine yelling as they fought more ice creatures behind him. He knew he could not back up much farther without ending up in the middle of their fight.

The Ice Maiden was close enough to strike him now. He narrowed his eyes at her. Her eyes were as blue as Elsa's, only they seemed to glow with the cold she emitted. Her hair too was that same pale snow-white. The way it moved behind her was spirit-like or like she was underwater.

Kristoff shook his head. Who cared what her hair looked like?! She was about to attack him!

The Ice Maiden drew her hand back. Kristoff felt stuck in place, not by any sort of spell, but by his own fear. He watched her hand jerk forward and he knew she was about to strike him. A small, dark form suddenly jumped in between the two of them. There was a screech loud enough to hurt Kristoff's ears. He thought it was the Ice Maiden, but when he looked, he saw it was her claws scratching Maija's sword. It was Maija who had jumped in front of him...to protect him?!

"Maija!" Kristoff yelled, reaching to pull her from harm's way. She shrugged his hand off and gave him a quick glance over her shoulder.

"Take your reindeer and go!" she snapped.

The Ice Maiden pulled her hand back and glanced from Kristoff to Maija. Her eyes glinted with curiosity, but her frown revealed impatience.

"You can't be serious. You're just a child!" he said.

The Ice Maiden held her hand out. A crystal clear spear of ice materialized there, which she immediately swung at Maija. Both Maija and Kristoff rolled out of the way.

"I'm far older than I look. Get out of here!"

"What about the others?!" he asked, taking a look around. He watched as one of the Ice Maiden's minions struck Audo over the head with an ice club. Audo staggered and fell. Karl tried to check on him, but the ice creature immediately started swinging the club at him next.

Back near Helmine and Egon, one of the ice maidens had set the mare loose. Egon was trying to calm the poor thing when it kicked him. Kristoff cringed as Egon was knocked on his back. With Egon out of the way, the mare took off.

Rosalind and her brother were not faring much better now that a few of the ice creatures had surrounded them.

"We'll be all right," she assured him. "Just go!" She slashed at him with her sword to persuade him to move away.

"Yikes! Fine, fine!" Kristoff yelped, fleeing her side. "This is crazy!" He circled far around the Ice Maiden as she closed in on Maija again. In the corner of his eye, he saw Rosalind overtaken by the three ice minions. The man with her tried pulling them off of her. He knew he could not stop if he wanted to make it out of there, but he still felt terrible. He jumped over something red on the ground and then stopped to look back at it. Grand Pabbie's flight boots! If he had not turned back for them, he would have missed it.

The Ice Maiden wielded a gust of wind that sent Maija's sword flying out of her hands. Then she reached down and grabbed the little girl by the throat, lifting her up into the air. Kristoff's veins ran cold as he watched Maija scratch and try to pry the Ice Maiden's fingers loose. Kristoff could hear her choking from where he stood.

If he ran to save her and was too late, would her sacrifice be for nothing? Was he a coward for hesitating? He looked around, watching the remaining robbers tire against the onslaught of icey violence. Why was the Ice Maiden even here, attacking these robbers?

The Ice Maiden used her free hand to tear something loose from Maija's neck. Kristoff inched closer, straining his eyes to see it. It looked like a large locket.

Maija's eyes started to close. Kristoff shook himself out of his trance and bolted for the Ice Maiden. Even though they had been planning to trade him off, in the end, Maija had set him free. He owed her human decency in return. Whatever she said, she was just a child.

Before he could get to her, the Ice Maiden tossed Maija aside like a ragdoll. The girl's sword landed in the powdering white ground beside her. Kristoff only knew what was coming next because he had seen it happen to Kai. The Ice Maiden lifted her hands, aiming them toward the fallen child as she cast her ice magic.

"Stop!" Kristoff yelled. He was too late though. Maija froze into solid ice.

Horrified, Kristoff ran to her and grabbed her sword off the ground. As he charged full-speed at the Ice Maiden, his brain fought with him. _What're you doing, you idiot? You'll be next!_

But his heart wept for Maija. _I have to stop her_ , he decided.

The Ice Maiden saw him coming. She stretched her hand out towards him, ready for him. But she wasn't quite quick enough. Kristoff was able to slash at her hand holding onto Maija's locket. When it fell to the ground, Kristoff was fast to scoop it up. Once in his hands, he saw that it wasn't quite a locket. When he unfastened the clasp to open it, he found it was a compact mirror in his hands.

_Mirror, mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?_

Kristoff glanced back at Maija. What did this mean? Why was she carrying this and why had the Ice Maiden taken it from her?!

"Look out!"

Sven suddenly knocked into Kristoff. Kristoff dropped the mirror and tumbled across the ground.

"What...? Sven?!" Kristoff said, wincing from all his scratches and bumps. He looked up just in time to see the Ice Maiden turn his best friend into an ice sculpture too.

Kristoff blinked. There was a ringing in his ears. That attack had been meant for him. He was the one that was supposed to be an ice sculpture, not Sven. He picked up the sword again and stood up shakily. The Ice Maiden looked at him once again, completely apathetic to the reindeer she had just frozen solid. He clenched his jaw and stalked toward her once more, raising Maija's sword to strike. The Ice Maiden motioned to cast the same magic on him. He knew he'd be turned to ice, but he didn't care. He thought of Anna and Elsa. He thought of Sven and Maija.

The Ice Maiden snapped her arm out but her wispy magic stopped just short of Kristoff.

Kristoff stopped in place, confused. He glanced down at his chest, where her magic would have struck him. He didn't _feel_ like an ice sculpture. He wiggled his toes to be sure.

The Ice Maiden tried once again. Again her magic had no effect on him. Her eyes hardened as she gazed at him. She was calm but perplexed.

"You look ugly when you're confused," he said.

Unfazed by his comment, the Ice Maiden turned toward her minions. They paused and shrank away from the robbers, all but Karl and Helmine now fallen. As Kristoff glimpsed over at the still bodies on the ground, he hoped with every fiber of his being that they were merely unconscious.

Suddenly the ice maidens grouped together and glided past Kristoff, circling around Sven.

"Get away from him!" Kristoff snapped. The ice creatures paid no attention to him though. Together they lifted Sven and began carrying him off. Kristoff barked threats to them as he tore his boots off. Quickly he put Grand Pabbie's flight boots on the ground and stuffed his feet into them. As soon as both feet were in and he had sloppily tied the laces, he felt the boots hum around his feet. He started to float a few inches. He wobbled around in the air, trying to take a step to dart after the fiends who had carried his friend off. He had expected that the flight boots would take him a little higher into the air. Kind of like...flying. Perhaps the snow had dampened their magical properties a little.

"If you want to see your reindeer, you will follow me," the Ice Maiden said, her voice colder than Elsa's blizzard. She knelt down gracefully to pick up the dropped compact mirror.

Krsitoff frowned. This is what he had come out here for, wasn't it? Things had not exactly gone according to plan, but that was only because he hadn't made a real plan.

"Fine," he said, glaring daggers at her. He wasn't sure why the Ice Maiden's magic wouldn't work against him, but he'd be sure to use it to his advantage.

He would have a plan this time; he would follow her, he would learn about her and then he would get Sven and himself far away from her so he could report what he learned to Elsa.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now. I wanted to use this chapter to show who else has been affected by the mirror. The Grimms' "Snow White" is one of the few other fairy tales that involve a pretty significant mirror. I know I didn't explain everything, but there will be more answers later.
> 
> Here we see how Elsa's protection charm worked for Kristoff! Though he has no idea what's up, lol.
> 
> Thanks for reading! This is probably the craziest I'll get with original characters in this story. So don't get disheartened if you were like, "Wait, who the hell is Helmine again?!" There needed to be seven of them! :P
> 
> All right, enough of me. Thanks for reading!


	31. The Two Spares

The same two guards came an hour after sunrise to serve breakfast to the prisoners. The meal consisted of just bread and water this time, much to Anna's disappointment. Not that she had been expecting a cheese and fruit platter or anything. But she could hope, couldn't she?

Without comment, Hans took a tray to his cot and began eating. Anna narrowed her eyes at him as she knelt on the floor to eat. She didn't want to get crumbs in her cot lest they should attract spiders or other critters.

Seconds ticked away in silence. Anna become overly conscious of the sounds of her swallowing water or chewing. Hans never lifted his eyes from his food. It was starting to bother her. Why was he giving her the silent treatment? Was he annoyed that she had overheard him humming at night?

 _It's not my fault he forgot he had a cellmate!_ she thought. She nibbled on her bread and sneered. Before she could stop herself, she said, "You must be tired."

That made him glance down at her in confusion. Good. Except she hadn't meant to actually say anything about his twilight serenade.

"I mean... that musical number last night," she continued. She stopped to clear her throat when a couple of crumbs got stuck in the back of her mouth. She gulped down some water to wash them down. Hans looked at her like she had sprouted an extra nose on her face. "The humming?"

"It seems you're the one who didn't get enough rest," he replied, raising an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about. And I slept well enough, thank you."

Anna snorted, eyeing him doubtfully. "If you say so," she shrugged. She cast her gaze down and started picking apart the last bit of her bread. "Have any peculiar dreams then?"

"Now, Anna..." Hans said. The playful lilt in his voice made her look up again. "That may be a sensitive question." One corner of his mouth lifted just enough to make Anna almost choke on her food. She knocked her fist against her chest and coughed until she could swallow down the _correct_ pipe, glaring at him the entire time. She knew full well he hadn't dreamt about her.

She also knew better than to care about what Hans dreamt of... at least, she'd thought she knew better.

Not liking how easily he could rile her up, Anna avoided prodding any further about his odd behavior from the previous night. When she finished her food, she went back to her cot. The guards came some time later to collect the trays. Then they left. The cell was once again silent.

Anna was not sure how much time passed before she couldn't stand the boredom. At first she'd thought of her sister and how hard Elsa would be trying to find her right about now. She started to think of Kristoff, but she didn't like the sensation at the pit of her stomach when his face came to mind. There had been a brief moment in which she and Olaf supposed Kristoff might be her true love. But as time went on, Anna became convinced that "true love" was not quite what she originally thought it was.

"Can we play a game?" she asked, desperate to get out of her own head for a while.

Hans groaned. "Not the drawing game again."

"No," Anna assured him even though she took offense to that.

"Then what?"

"Um..." She searched around her cot. Then her eyes went to the floor where she had sat for her meal moments before. She returned to her sitting spot, crouching low as she continued her search.

"What are you—" Hans started to ask, disrupted by a victorious shout from Anna.

"Aha!" Using her index finger and thumb, Anna plucked something off of the floor. It was a single crumb of bread.

"Is this a game you can only play after getting food on the floor?" Hans asked, his mouth a straight line.

"Oh, shush and come here!" she chided him. "I didn't have anything else small enough."

Hans looked at her warily from his cot.

"Come _on_!"

As Hans moved to join her, Anna put her hands behind her back. There she balled her fists and covered the bread crumb in her left hand. Once Hans was seated in front of her, she slowly drew out both of her fists and held them in front of him. A few seconds passed in which he just glanced up and down between her hands and her face. He did nothing.

"You've never played this before?!" she asked, realizing. "Fine, guess. Which hand is the crumb in?"

"Left," he answered with a bored tilt of his head.

Anna scowled as she opened her left fist to show him he had guessed correctly. She quickly pulled her hands behind her back, wiggling her elbows to make a great show as if she were passing the crumb back and forth in her hands. She chose left once more and again held out her fists for him to guess.

"Left."

"Argh!" She opened her hand with the crumb and squinted at him. "Are you cheating?!"

Hans actually looked somewhat offended by the accusation. "I don't need to. It's fifty-fifty, just too easy. Here." He plucked the crumb out of her palm and put his own hands behind his back.

Anna tried to recall the last time she had played the game. Had it been on the fjord with her father? She used to play with Elsa, of course, but not once Elsa became distant. Growing up had been so hard without her; the hardest part was not knowing what she had done to upset Elsa. In those early days, her parents had tried especially hard to make up for the void of the lost playmate. Her mother would play dolls with her; her father would initiate catch or guessing games. But neither one could make up for the loss of her older sister.

"Are you going to guess or are you going to sit there staring at my neck all day?"

Anna's eyes snapped up to Hans's face. She had not realized she'd drifted into her own thoughts again. "Sorry! Hmm..." She glanced down at his fists closed in front of her. With a slightly larger object, like a coin or ring, one could sometimes tell by the way the hand was held. But with a bread crumb, the odds really were even. "Right?"

Hans laid out his right hand, showing it to be empty. "Well, I had hoped to demonstrate just how easy a game it was, but... I guess you're just no good at guessing."

Anna crossed her arms. "At least I suggested a way to pass the time."

"Oh?" he smiled. "Why didn't you just ask me to suggest something?"

She frowned. "What do you suggest?"

Hans flipped his palm over, dropping the bread crumb to the floor. "Hold your arm out."

"Huh?"

"You like guessing games, right? Now... wait, take the cloak off. Then hold out your arm."

She did as he said, thinking, _What kind of guessing game is this?_ She figured by now that Hans really meant it when he said he had nothing to gain here by harming her. He had even saved her several times. So what was with the fluttering in her stomach?

Anna folded her cloak upon her lap to keep it off the dirty floor. Then she slowly stretched her arm out toward Hans. She started a little when he took hold of her forearm and turned it over so that her wrist faced up.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Here." Hans's other hand touched what Anna unpoetically thought of as her elbow pit. "Close your eyes and tell me when I reach that spot."

Anna's lips quirked into a confused smile. "Isn't that too easy?"

Hans grinned. "If it's so easy, close your eyes and do it."

Anna raised her eyebrow. She had never done this before. It didn't feel like much of a game, but she closed her eyes.

"No peeking," she heard him warn her.

"I'm not!"

"Good."

Hans continued to hold Anna's arm in his one hand—to hold it steady, she supposed. His fingers started at the tips of her own, lightly drawing an invisible line to her palm. Then they crossed her palm up to her wrist where she noticed her skin started feeling peculiar. If Hans hadn't been holding her arm still, she might have twitched. It didn't tickle exactly; it was more like a pleasant burning.

_Wait, what?_

Anna mentally waved away any thoughts about what effect Hans's touch may have had on her. Instead she focused on that part of her elbow she was supposed to be alert to. But as his fingertips traveled up her inner arm, Anna found it next to impossible to focus. Now it _did_ tickle. Her arm even twitched a bit in his hold. She thought she heard him exhale, but she suspected he was trying to stifle a laugh.

Up and up his fingers moved... until they felt about an inch away from their destination. Anna started a countdown in her head.

_Five..._

She wondered if he was smiling.

_Four..._

Why did he have to suggest this stupid game?

_Three..._

Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her.

_Two..._

His fingers were getting so close. She bit her lip to keep from shouting out too soon. Just another second and she'd win.

"There!" she yelped, her eyelids popping open. She found Hans with the usual smug smile on his face. When she looked down, she immediately saw why. She thought she had been a second too soon, but his fingers had actually _passed_ the bend of her elbow. "What...?!"

"I wondered for a second just how far you were going to let me go!" Hans teased.

Anna blushed. "Be quiet! That was a stupid game!"

"More stupid than playing with a crumb of bread?" he asked, his smile even wider now.

"Yeah, yeah," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm tired of games anyway."

"Tired of playing, or tired of losing?"

She ignored that. "Why don't we talk to pass the time?"

"What is there to talk about?"

God, he was hopeless. Anna thought back to Elsa's coronation night and how easy her interactions with Hans had been. He had not exactly been himself, but was it so difficult for him to talk to someone?

"Well... you could tell me about your other brothers," she suggested with a shrug. She found herself genuinely curious.

"I'll pass, thanks," he countered.

Anna had been about to make a teasing response, but she stopped herself when she saw Hans's face. He wasn't looking at her. He was looking toward one of the cell windows, his smile gone now and his green eyes glazed over in retrospect. She wondered what it was he thought about and why it hurt him so.

"I'll just talk about Elsa then," she said softly.

Hans said nothing, so she continued.

"I know you know all about her...powers and everything, but she was pretty amazing before all of that," Anna began. "When we were kids, she used to ice skate on the fjord in winter and drag me along on a sled. It was the best thing ever!" She grinned at the thought of Kai and Gerda yelling at them from the docks. Of course she knew now it had all been pretty dangerous. But she trusted Elsa now as much as she did back then. "And do you know she can speak _five_ languages. Five! Of course, she kind of has to know more than one, being the queen and all..."

"So I guess you're just another spare like me, hm?"

Anna's brow wrinkled as she looked at Hans, trying to process his remark. What made it painful was that she had had the very same thought before.

"It's true I wasn't born to be the queen... and where Elsa is graceful, smart and elegant, I'm goofy, clueless and clumsy."

"At least you admit it."

Anna pushed on, ignoring his interruption. "But you know what? I believe every person is born with strengths as well as weaknesses. Elsa was afraid of her powers, so she hid herself away... and even though I was really hurt, I didn't give up on her."

She had expected another snide comment from him, but Hans just listened.

"I may not know five languages... I may not know how to skate. I may not have magical powers. But I've got courage and heart. And I believe that one day, I'll find my own... thing. My own gifts."

She kept waiting for him to laugh at her, but he never did. He looked off to the side, considering. Maybe he was thinking of something clever to say.

"You too," Anna found herself saying. Hans looked at her again. "You're more than just a spare."

Although Hans said nothing, Anna thought his eyes softened.

* * *

Olaf paced between the flowerbeds. Normally he would stop to smell the purples and the yellows—he knew them by color only at this point—but something had been troubling him since the interruption in Elsa's study the night before.

"Now you want to dig about this much into the soil to feel how dry it is. If it feels dry, water until the dampness covers about this much..." Sofia instructed, kneeling with Gyda in front of some reds and whites. She let Gyda use the tiny shovel called a 'trowel' to practice.

Olaf tried to listen so he too could help; after all, he had been the one to volunteer his and Gyda's assistance. He hoped Gyda hadn't minded, but he had wanted to introduce her to his new friend, Sofia. They seemed to be getting along just fine.

"That's enough, that's good! You don't want to dig _too_ deep!" Sofia warned.

Olaf glanced at the other two. His eyes rested on Gyda in particular. He felt there was something he ought to remember. But for the life of him, he could not figure out what. What a strange sensation being serious was! He'd had so much practice over the last few days. Olaf had decided pretty quickly that having fun was preferable. But there was a time and place for fun. There had not been much time or place for fun since the mysterious ice-wielding woman's attack on the castle.

"What's the matter, Olaf?" Sofia asked. Gyda also looked up inquisitively from her digging.

"It's just..." he hesitated. "Elsa was so worried about meeting those noble people. I wish we could have gone."

"Well, we're not nobles, little guy."

"No, but we're important too in our own way as Elsa's friends," Olaf said.

"The queen's...friends?" Sofia asked.

Olaf nodded as he looked back toward the castle and wondered how Elsa was faring at her meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I also apologize that not much happened in this chapter. It was very focused on interaction. :)
> 
> Any ideas for what it is Olaf was forgetting?


	32. The Witch's Price

"Show me," Nissa demanded, tired of the witch's amusement. The cave of infected coral around her felt suffocating. Creeping shellfish peeked out at her from miniature caverns within the dead walls. She tried to ignore it, but her skin crawled.

The witch's teal eyes glinted. "I don't offer anything for free," she said, trying Nissa's patience.

"I have to know what's befallen him. Name your price, witch."

Her host smiled as if Nissa had not intended to offend her. She waved one webbed hand through the water, her fingers glowing. "What shall I choose? Your sight, perhaps? Your voice? Your inheritance?"

Here Nissa stopped her. "You know I'm the youngest. I have no inheritance."

"No?" the witch asked, pouting a little too much to be believed. "Then perhaps... the color of your hair."

Nissa's hands instinctively went to her long, light golden tresses.

"Yes. I think that will be the price," the witch decided.

"What are you going to do with someone's hair color?" Nissa asked, incredulous.

The witch snapped. "Be grateful I didn't ask for your fisherman's tongue on a plate!"

Nissa quieted, pulling one handful of tendrils in front of herself. "Take it then. Show me what's happened to my beloved."

"Payment first."

Nissa frowned. She was eager to discover where her fisherman had gone. She yearned to take back everything she had said the last time they met. But she had gone to the cove day after day a week after. He would not come. Had she angered him that much?

Satisfied, the witch swam to a corner of the room where a jagged mirror sat atop a bed of pearls and shells. She carefully took up the mirror and glided back to Nissa.

Nissa had heard all about the witch's powers and her evil mirror. But looking at the mirror now, Nissa failed to understand the stigma that surrounded it. It wasn't even a whole mirror. It was just a jagged thing barely larger than the Witch's hands. It had a scratched surface.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" the witch asked.

Nissa blinked several times. Then she noticed her hair in her hands. It was not quite blonde anymore.

It was white.

A memory latched itself around her heart and squeezed so hard, it hurt. Her fisherman had once told her that her hair reminded him of sunlight.

"Don't look sad," the witch crooned, cradling the mirror as though it were the one she spoke to.

Nissa squared her jaw and glared at the witch. "Get on with it."

Again, the witch's eyes flashed with light from an unknown source. She stalked toward Nissa, her mirror held out. Nissa's eyes snapped down to the mirror as its surface suddenly glittered brilliant white. When her eyes adjusted, she could see something... a man moving around in the mirror, though she knew not how. After a second, she recognized him.

When she watched the scene in the mirror, she screamed. Other memories rushed to her aid, her mind trying to calm her as her balance gave way. She fell to the witch's feet, the sobs pouring out of her in wretched, wet hiccups and protests.

_I don't understand._

"Your mirror lies, witch!" Nissa yelled. Grief tore through her fury and washed it down in sob after sob.

"Pull yourself together, child. This mirror cannot lie."

_Why?_

Nissa's eyes were so blurry with tears that she could barely see the witch. She could see the mirror though, glinting now as the witch's eyes had, as though it too were laughing at her. Nissa's sole calm thought was that her heart felt as jagged as the mirror's edges now. If what she saw had truly happened, her heart would harden. She would become as cruel as the witch and her mirror.

_Why?_

No, he wouldn't want that. She wouldn't want that. She trembled and choked, digging her fingers into cold ocean soil as she lifted her eyes back up at the witch.

It hurt to move, hurt to think.

Why had she come here? Would she have been better off never knowing?

It hurt to feel. Everything hurt.

The mirror glinted, replaying the horrible scene for Nissa to review.

She screamed and lunged for the witch.

* * *

"Anna... Shh... Anna, you're screaming!"

Anna's eyes shot open. She found her hands gripping Hans's shirt as he gently shook her. He stared, his green eyes searching her face wildly.

"What...?" she said, realizing she was panting. Nissa's rage and devastation still brewed within her. That dream had been more vivid than the other odd ones of late.

Hans released her and inched back a little. Anna realized he was sitting on the edge of her cot. She sat up with him but leaned to the side against the wall. She was still trying to separate her own feelings from Nissa's.

_But who is Nissa?_

"I didn't want the guards to think I was murdering you," Hans explained.

His word choice was like looking into the witch's mirror. Anna whimpered as her eyes welled up, unbridled tears streaming down her face.

Hans had left her to die. She'd been repeatedly reminding herself of this, but only now did the dam finally break. There'd been the dream, too. She wasn't even certain all of the tears were her own.

Hans's mouth dropped wordlessly open as she lost herself in sobs. Ordinarily, she might have found the stupid expression of his to be amusing. But in the moment, it just made her cry harder.

Anna didn't have time to register what Hans was doing as he suddenly moved toward her. He pulled her shaking and crying into him, locking his arms around her. She blinked hot tears against his shoulder, simultaneously relieved by his warmth and scent—faint ginger ale and ember?—while bewildered by the presumption.

Part of her warned her to get away from him; the thought sounded like Elsa's voice in her head. But another part felt oddly safe. Maybe it was just that the grief was so unbearable, but Hans's heartbeat on her chest was a comfort.

It ended all too soon though.

As soon as Anna started easing into his hug, Hans roughly pulled away and moved off of the cot. Without a word or a glance, he returned to his side of the cell.

Stunned, Anna felt her face. There she felt warmth and the remnants of her tears. But she had definitely stopped crying.

 _I don't understand_.

"I..."

She stopped herself, staring harshly at the prince on the other side of the room with his back to her. She glared, letting her eyes bore holes into his shoulders. But he couldn't feel her gaze. He didn't seem to feel a thing.

 _Why?_ she wondered.

There was something wrong with her too, letting him get that close.

She lay down again, troubled but calmer. She turned her head away from Hans and decided to let herself drift back asleep. She hoped for dreamless sleep this time.

* * *

They managed to get through discussing tax concerns and the economic impact of the embargo with Weselton. The nobles agreed that Weselton needed to suffer some consequence for entrusting trade relations with Arendelle to such a weasel. But they suggested that the queen resume trade with Weselton at some point in the near future. In the meantime, something needed to be done to recompense for the stricken market. They had been importing medicine, medical equipment, steel, iron and other metals from Weselton where it was cheaper than some of the other sovereign states and kingdoms. Now the materials would cost more to get elsewhere. Elsa agreed to temporarily lower certain taxes in light of the halted trade with Weselton. That pacified the nobles. In fact, the meeting seemed to be going well until someone brought up the missing Princess Anna and Prince Hans. That was when Lord Harald prompted her to break the news about the Ice Maiden and the attack on Arendelle Castle.

When she finished, Elsa looked back at the speechless nobles staring at her from around the table. The silence lasted for all of two seconds before everyone began talking at once.

"She expects us to believe in some fairytale excuse?!" Lord Stein snorted.

"But why did it attack the castle? Where will it attack next?" asked Lady Linn, looking the most concerned in the group.

"The question isn't where, but who!" Lord Martin exclaimed.

"I stand with Her Majesty." It was Lady Cathrine who said this. She was an older noblewoman who had been a close friend of Queen Iduna's mother.

"Sure you do. You're thinking exactly what the rest of us are thinking!" Lord Stein snarled. He seemed the most agitated.

"And what's that, Lord Stein?!" Lady Cathrine narrowed her eyes at him.

Rather than elaborating, Lord Stein mumbled something about Lady Cathrine's age and sex. Then, suddenly sinking into silence, he became fascinated with his sleeves on the table.

"Your Majesty, why did you not tell us of the threat sooner? We could have lent defenses for the castle!" Lord Jorn said.

"What if _she'_ s the one we need defending from? You remember what happened at the coronation!" Lord Martin panicked.

Elsa rubbed her temples slowly, letting them bicker amongst themselves so she could take a moment to gauge who would be her best or worst allies.

"Please," Lord Harald interrupted the lot of them. "The coronation is behind us now. The queen has learned to control her power. Prince Hans of the Southern Isles and the Duke of Weselton were revealed to be the true offenders during the coronation. Let us focus on the issues at hand."

"Forgive me, Your Lordship... but isn't Prince Hans one of those issues?" Lady Cathrine asked, glancing at the queen with some concern. She clearly did not want to stir the pot like the others, but her question was valid and inevitable all the same.

Before Lord Harald could reply, Elsa said, "Prince Hans disappeared along with the blizzard. We are making every effort to locate him before the Southern Isles become aware..."

"Haven't they noticed he did not return home yet from the coronation?" Lord Martin asked.

"I sent a letter explaining that both he and my sister have gone missing. I didn't explicitly say that they ran off together, but..."

"You were hoping they would be more sympathetic if that's what they assumed?" Lady Cathrine finished for her.

Elsa nodded dumbly, trying to ignore the varied murmurs around the table. She kept her hands in her lap and focused on her breathing. She knew if she didn't, she might accidentally freeze the room.

"Probably the best thing you could have done to allay their suspicions," Lord Martin admitted.

Elsa's shoulders relaxed. At least some of them seemed to be on her side, even if Lord Martin seemed to panic at the drop of a hat.

"So they believe you're searching for both the prince and princess?" Lord Jorn asked.

"We _are_ searching for them. But now there is this Ice Maiden posing threats as well..."

"And you have no idea what she came here for?" Lady Cathrine asked.

Elsa shook her head. "A man who helped my sister save the kingdom is out searching for the Ice Maiden now. Kristoff Bjorgman. If anyone can help us, it's him... in the meantime, if you would lend me your men to continue the search for Princess Anna and Prince Hans..."

No one volunteered. Their hesitation was like its own entity. When Elsa looked up at them in question, some of them had guilty faces.

"Was there something else?" she asked, her hands shaking but unseen beneath the table.

Lord Stein huffed. "Well, _I'm_ not telling her."

"Telling me what?" Elsa said. Now alarm bells were going off in her head.

The other nobles exchanged silent glances. But when Elsa tried to make eye contact with any one of them, they immediately looked away. Finally Lady Cathrine sighed.

"The people of Arendelle have been uneasy," she explained. She folded her hands together on the table in thought, carefully formulating her next words. "There are rumors circulating around that have been gathering strength after the spectacle last night." The spectacle referred to Kai, Elsa assumed. "You've now told us about the Ice Maiden... and I think it's safe to say that everyone here believes in you," she gave harsh glances at Martin and Stein, "It may take a little more than that for the people. They're frightened."

"Frightened of me?" Elsa asked even though she already knew the answer. She remembered their faces when she had stormed out of the coronation ball and through the crowds. They had been so happy to see her until her magic came to light. Then she had terrified them all.

"They just need to see more of you, we think," Lord Jorn added. "And..."

"And?" Elsa prompted. She understood being reclusive all her life would make the people wary of her. That was not the kind of ruler she wanted to be.

"And..." Lady Cathrine picked up from where Lord Jorn left off, only she seemed unable to continue the thought.

"And they might feel more at ease if Your Majesty married someone known to be trustworthy," Lady Linn finished for them. Everyone started when she spoke, for she had gone rather silent since the earlier discussion.

Elsa's voice caught in her throat. They wanted her to wed someone? She counted to ten in her head, but it was no good. She couldn't think of marrying someone. She supposed somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd known it would come up sooner or later. But right now?

"You're suggesting marriage... in the middle of everything else? Don't you think the timing is inappropriate?" she asked.

"On the contrary," Lady Cathrine replied. "A wedding would give the people something to celebrate. It would take their minds off of ugly rumors and disappearances. Nobody would fear a bride, after all."

The woman gave Elsa a matronly smile. But it did not have quite the effect Lady Cathrine intended. Elsa was about to shoot down the suggestion when more of the nobles chimed in.

"We're not suggesting that you get married today," Lord Stein exclaimed.

"Yes! Even an engagement would turn the tide a little," Lady Linn agreed.

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "I suppose you have candidates in mind for the groom?" The question came out coolly. If the room grew a little chilly, Elsa didn't care anymore.

"Not by any means!" Lord Martin quickly said. He seemed to be the only one affected by Elsa's reaction. "Of course we would want you to pick someone who knows how to lead..."

"Someone with experience, if possible," Lord Jorn added.

Elsa did not fail to notice how some of their glances shifted toward Lord Harald. She looked at him now too. Had he put them up to this?

When Lord Harald caught her stare, he put one hand up. As if he'd read her thoughts, he said, "This really should all be Queen Elsa's decision. You've shared your suggestions... why not let her think on it?"

Everyone else nodded their heads and consented with remarks about being reasonable and respectful. But Elsa couldn't stand it. She stood up, her chair shrieking across the floor behind her. All eyes jerked toward her in alarm.

"Excuse me. I think I might be sick. The meeting is adjourned."

Without another word or pause for those who cried, "Your Majesty!" in concern or protest—Elsa didn't know which—she stormed around the table, leaving the council room and all of their ridiculous suggestions behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I plot out chapters and only realize while writing the drafts that certain scenes would do better elsewhere. Originally there were supposed to be four scenes here, but the fourth one (with Kristoff) will do better in the next chapter. ;P
> 
> LOLLLL HANS SMELLS OF -GINGER- ALE AND FIRE. I dunno. Ginger ale probably wasn't even around in the 1830s. Artistic license though.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	33. An Aerial Journey

If Kristoff were not used to the cold, the trek north would have been uncomfortable once he crossed the northern sea and entered permafrost lands. As it was, the company—if following and shouting to someone half a mile ahead qualified as company—was less than desirable. The Ice Maiden led him north, but she made a poor guide. Sometimes she disappeared entirely; then Kristoff was left to trust he should just keep north.

The one breakthrough of the journey was when Grand Pabbie's flight boots finally "warmed up" and lifted Kristoff higher. It made keeping up with the Ice Maiden less frustrating, though a new challenge arose when the north winds picked up. They howled around him, warning him to turn back. But he pressed on.

The skies were as white as the snow below. Behind him now, Kristoff could only see black water and more white horizon. If he looked forward, he could occasionally lock sight on the silver form of the Ice Maiden soaring steadily beyond him. Why did she want him to follow? That was a question he'd been wrestling with since the fight in the forest. The only greater mystery was his apparent invulnerability to her magic.

It couldn't be the flight boots. Her magic had failed before he'd even put those on. What then? An unexpected "power" of his own? He scoffed at that.

Next they crossed over stony mountains and a fearsome glacier. Just when Kristoff was beginning to wonder how much farther, he spotted a palace in the middle of a barren, wintry wasteland. It was here the Ice Maiden descended. Kristoff was not sure how to follow suit at first. Then he attempted by wiggling off one of the flight boots. As soon as he started removing it, he was lowered toward the ground. He didn't want to fall outright, so he worked even more slowly to remove the other. He bore his weight carefully so as not to fall upon landing. He was thankful for the thick, woolen socks covering his feet as they crunched onto the snow. Then he looked onward, hanging back to gape at the intimidating structure of ice and snow before him. It didn't glisten with light the way Elsa's ice palace had. No, these walls were so thick, they looked like frozen stone. The winds here were enough to make him shiver, though he knew he should have felt far more uncomfortable than he did. Perhaps it was an additional perk of his newly discovered defense against the Ice Maiden. Or was it just ice and snow in general?

He shook his head. It was no use trying to puzzle it out right this instant.

"Come," his guide commanded. If the Ice Maiden felt at home at this place, she did not show it or look particularly relieved to be 'home'. Without a glance to see if he was following, she strode toward the palace with the same haughty posture.

Truth be told, Kristoff did not want to go in. With Sven now an ice sculpture, that left no one else aware of his location. He glanced back at the horizon behind him and thought of Elsa. It would take a masterful plan indeed to get back to Arendelle once Kristoff discovered the Ice Maiden's weakness—if she had any. There would also be the Ice Maiden's minions guarding him, no doubt.

Kristoff sighed. One thing at a time.

He mustered some courage and took his first steps forward, following the Ice Maiden into her frigid abode. Hesitation met him at the threshold where he gazed into the dark halls awaiting him. Part of him wondered if he'd ever set foot out of the palace if he entered now.

The Ice Maiden's voice echoed from within, though she was out of sight. "Come," she said again, betraying no impatience. It was just a command.

Kristoff thought of the trolls' frightened faces back in the Valley of Living Rock. He shoved his scruples aside for the moment. When the time came, he would worry about fighting his way out. For now, he had work to do.

He entered the palace, almost laughing at his surprise when nothing happened. Icicle daggers did not come flying out at him. The chandelier overhead did not crash down upon his head. Feeling a bit more nerve now, he took a few more steps into the hall. He almost slipped on his third step. He quickly realized why. The floor was made of ice and he was now of course without boots except for the enchanted ones in his hand.

The hall contained nothing but flameless chandeliers and thin pillars of ice lined up one after the other in several rows to the left and right of him. There was merely one aisle for him to follow. Assuming he was meant to follow, Kristoff pushed onward. He stepped carefully to avoid slipping.

Movement closed in on him from both sides before he got very far. Kristoff yelped as an ice maiden crashed into him, shrieking. He spun in circles across the ice floor until he hit one of the pillars. He grabbed it to steady himself and shake the minion off of him. She snarled and snatched the flight boots from him as he fought back the thrashing hands of her sisters encircled around him.

"Hey!" Kristoff protested, almost leaping away from the pillar to retrieve the boots. The motion was too sudden for the icy surface and he would have ended up on his backside if he had not grabbed hold of the pillar once more. The ice maidens ignored him, withdrawing to the shadows of the hall.

They'd taken his means of escape. As Kristoff heard a groan, his head jerked toward the palace doors just in time to see them slam shut.

"This way."

Kristoff turned toward the source of the voice, knowing it would be the Ice Maiden. She stood a little ahead in his path. She had not been there a moment ago.

The ice harvester held back a quip about her sneaking around in her own palace. There was little to be gained by irritating a hostess like the Ice Maiden. Without a word, he gestured for her to lead the way.

She led him to another hall that reminded him of Elsa's Great Hall. But instead of an audience, the center floor had only a pile of broken ice. Kristoff raised his eyebrow at that. Maybe it was some weird kind of Ice Maiden decorating statement.

He only noticed the throne because he was looking for one. But the Ice Maiden ignored her throne and went to the pile of ice shards, beckoning Kristoff behind her. He dubiously followed her and was about to inquire when he noticed something else on the floor beside the pile. It was then he realized the shards were not ice, but glass: mirror glass. A small section of the mirror shards had been fitted together and laid out on the floor beside the pile.

"Make the mirror whole."

"What?" he asked. It was an automatic response. He cleared his throat before she could repeat herself. "I mean, why should I?" The response felt elementary when posed to a being like the Ice Maiden, but he couldn't help himself. Still, other questions ran through his head as well. What was this mirror? Were these shards all part of one mirror or did some not even belong? Was this one big..."truth mirror", as Grand Pabbie had called them?

"If you want to see the reindeer, make the mirror whole."

Kristoff scowled. So she would hold Sven over him again, curse her. Well, according to Grand Pabbie, she was already cursed.

"This is a truth mirror, isn't it?" he asked, receiving no reaction. "How do I know you won't do something evil with it if I help you make one _huge_ truth mirror?"

Still, the Ice Maiden said nothing.

"Why don't you do it yourself or use your magic to do it?"

Again, she looked at him in silence. _Creepier and creepier_ , Kristoff thought with a frown. Then it dawned on him and he grinned. "You can't, can you? Why?"

The Ice Maiden looked from him down to the small section of the recompleted mirror.

"You're not in any position to be making demands now, are you?" Kristoff snapped, finding her refusal to speak increasingly unnecessary. "You were talking a minute ago. Why so quiet now?!"

She looked at him, her expression unchanging as she finally responded. "If you want to leave this place before you grow old and die, make the mirror whole."

It was not the first time he felt real dread in her presence. But this was different. This was no threat of violence, of a quick if brutal death or of being frozen.

_Before you grow old and die._

Kristoff shuddered, hardly paying attention as the Ice Maiden left the hall in a flurry of ice and snow.

She couldn't hurt him, but she could keep him prisoner... unless he could find a way out.

Kristoff glanced down at the floor. First he needed to find out more about her and the mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short update, I know. Not quite happy with the other two scenes I would have included, so I'll work on those for the next update.
> 
> Oy, I've got a tumblr now! :D Brand new to tumblrland so there is pretty much nothing there, but you can find me at kupotea .tumblr .com. (cuppatea was taken and I like Final Fantasy, ergo kupotea).
> 
> Wishing everyone a very Happy 2017! Thank you for reading!


	34. A Father's Warning

For the fourth time, Elsa caught her thoughts getting away from her as she just sat and stared at the papers on her writing desk. She hadn't come to finish her signatures from the night before, although that would be next. She could not exactly concentrate on that for the moment though, not with Lord Martin's shrill voice and Lady Cathrine's calm admission reverberating in her head.

If only Kai could be here now to advise her! But that wish just brought on all her guilt for both the manservant and his wife, Gerda. Even so, thinking of him did bring some comfort.

"What would Kai suggest?" Elsa asked herself. Normally when Kai advised her, he would suggest that she think of how her father would have solved the problem.

It had been a long time since her father's last governance lesson. Elsa rubbed her forehead as she tried to think back to one of her father's caveats on domestic politics.

 _Ah_ , she thought as it dawned on her. That was why she was having trouble remembering at first. It hadn't been a domestic affairs lesson. It had been a lesson about war; specifically, her father had lectured her on the skills necessary for making and keeping alliances. Elsa had been entirely focused on international alliances. Her father had had to remind her of the importance of knowing her friends and enemies within Arendelle as well.

"But... aren't all the nobles loyal to you?" she had asked at the time, barely a teenager and just coming to understand how much there was to being a ruling monarch.

"True, the most influential noble families date back to our first king, Harald I. Today's nobles inherited their titles and roles just as we inherit ours. But others have come into aristocracy... and even those whose families have been in it for generations are, at the end of the day, complex human beings. Do you remember what I told you about what we need from the common people?"

"To rule well, we need the people's love, their trust and inspiration."

Her father had nodded. "It's just the same for the nobility. These are the men I expect to help me lead soldiers into battle. These are the families I trust to collect taxes which I then use for the betterment of our kingdom. But they are not just tools for those purposes. They are families. Whenever I make a decree, I first have to ask myself how it will affect not only the common man, but the lords and ladies. Will raising this tax solve a problem or create a bigger one? Will limiting A and B exports do the same, even though it may be part of negotiations with another kingdom?"

Elsa must have made a face, for the king had laughed. She would get it eventually, but in those early lessons, it had seemed entirely too tedious to Princess Elsa.

"Why can't you just do whatever you want? You're the king."

"Sweetheart..." He had addressed her with affection but grew stern. She would never forget his eyes, at once both warm and severe. "After a point, that would become tyranny."

Elsa must have looked worried then. She would do anything to feel his reassuring squeeze on her shoulder again.

"Fear not. Sometimes rulers have to make difficult choices. Sometimes we can't make everyone happy. And sometimes, you may make a mistake. But if they love you, they'll forgive because they understand you. That's why you need allies within Arendelle. But... again, people are complex. You also need to know how to recognize if someone refuses to follow and work with you."

Lord Stein came to mind as Elsa thought over her father's advice. Was _he_ a hopeless cause or would she be able to gain his trust and loyalty? Lord Martin did not seem to have the same strong distaste for Elsa that Lord Stein had. But his nervous disposition might make him vulnerable to others' manipulation.

One thing was certain. The nobles had clearly met and discussed her engagement before meeting with her. The question was if Lord Harald was the ringleader in that idea. To find out, she would need to work quickly to ensure she had allies among them. If the Southern Isles were not pacified by her letter... and if Harald _was_ working against her, she would need all the help she could get.

Elsa tried to think of what she knew about each noble. She had spent far too much time in isolation, so it wasn't much. She conjured up miniature snow figurines of each lord or lady, eyeing them all in deep thought.

There was Lord Harald himself, a distant cousin from her father's side. He owned significant land in the northwesternmost section of Arendelle. He had acted as regent during the three years before Elsa came of age. He was only about a decade older than herself, but he referred to himself as an 'old man'. The man clearly fancied himself a wise ruler. Was all of his imposed counsel coming from good intentions or more sinister motivations?

Elsa moved on to Lord Stein, lord of the coastlands just east of Arendelle. Her head ached as she recalled the hostility that sprang from his every word. So far as she could recall, she had never done anything to warrant such aversion. Yet he had called her news about the Ice Maiden's attack an 'excuse'. Did that mean Stein believed Elsa had heartlessly turned her manservant into an ice statue? Why would Stein think such a thing? Hadn't all the nobles heard by now that her blizzard had been a mistake?

In any case, Stein was one she would have to watch out for.

Lady Cathrine was a wealthy widow with an estate along the edges of town. She seemed a most likely ally. Even better, she seemed more levelheaded, perhaps because of her age and experience. She was certainly quick to push the marriage issue, but seemed otherwise trustworthy. Elsa assumed Lady Cathrine was not under Lord Harald's influence for now, although she would not rule out the possibility just yet.

The other lady present for the meeting, Lady Linn, had seemed a nervous thing. She and Lord Martin owned land north beyond the mountains. She was certainly nowhere near as outspoken as Lady Cathrine. But Elsa found it telling that Lady Linn had been the only one willing to tell Elsa the truth whereas the other nobles hesitated. Maybe Lady Linn herself had been pushed into an unhappy political marriage with Lord Martin. She did seem ready to agree that an engagement at the least would help settle the current unrest in Arendelle though.

Lord Martin complicated Lady Linn's potential as a friend, or at least he would until Elsa was more sure about him. He was one who was quick to panic. The man seemed particularly on edge over the subject of the Southern Isles. True, he had complimented Elsa's letter tactic for appeasing the other kingdom, but Martin was too skittish to be relied upon for now. Perhaps Elsa could win him over if she established her strength. Perhaps not.

At least there was Lord Jorn. He would definitely make a good ally, she decided. He seemed a reasonable fellow, ready to solve problems and to give the queen the support needed to do so. His castle was also not too far from town in the case that he needed to be called on. Yes, she was sure he was trustworthy.

There were a lord and lady who could not attend that morning's meeting. Elsa knew little about Lord Albin aside from his old age and poor health being the reasons for his absence. But it was Lord Jorn who had paid Albin's apology and respects. If the two of _them_ were close, Elsa supposed that Albin could be trusted as well. As for Lady Birgitta, she was terribly pregnant. Her husband Gustav, an ambassador in Glowerhaven, had sent her home to Arendelle to have their child. She was to have the child any week now. Naturally, neither she nor her husband would make the best of allies for the time being. But Elsa would be sure to send Gustav a congratulatory letter once the child was born, as well as to plan a visit to Birgitta to make sure she and the baby were both in good health.

For now, there were more pressing matters. She wanted to get to know the other six nobles better, including Harald. While she didn't want to be paranoid, she did not want to end up in another meeting where everyone had decided on something without her beforehand. There was _no_ way she would marry Lord Harald. The sooner she weeded that sorry idea out of their heads, the better.

Elsa left her desk to go to the window where she could look out over the fjord. The water looked cold under the overcast sky. She thought of her father again and briefly wondered if he too would have suggested an engagement.

"I suppose one day I may have to," she thought aloud. But it would be when it was _her_ idea.

Elsa looked back to the little crowd of miniature snow nobles on her writing desk. With a flick of her wrist, she dispersed the snowflakes holding them together and sent them glittering up toward the ceiling where they disappeared into the warm air. Then, indulging herself just a little, Elsa conjured up two person-sized forms made of snow. These she sculpted into the likeness of her sister and the ice harvester. Anna's likeness stood near Elsa's desk, smiling as if in mid-invitation for building a snowman. The snow-Kristoff stood closer to Elsa, smiling in reassurance.

She thought of the last time she'd seen Kristoff—just after the Ice Maiden's attack. She had nearly flown off after the Ice Maiden, but it was Kristoff who stopped her. Now Kristoff himself had set out to find her so that Elsa could focus on the issues at home. He must have seen that she was overwhelmed. Like Anna, he was only trying to help.

Elsa sighed. All she could do for him for now was reinforce her protection spell. Until she had someone to trust Arendelle with while she was away, she couldn't keep leaving the palace. It was just one more reason for her to get started on building alliances.

Lady Cathrine would be the first.

* * *

The shrieking wind startled Anna awake. She heard glass break as she sat up in her cot. Instinctively, she held her arms up to shield herself, not knowing what the source of all the noise was. Then she saw the window had been smashed. Wintry cold seeped into the cell, making Anna shiver.

Hans was up and alert, his eyes locked on the cell door. Anna scrambled to untangle herself from her blanket and join him. But her eyes went to the window, where she watched the bars ice over. In seconds, the metal shattered. For a moment, Anna's heart raced, thinking that somehow Elsa must have found her and come to her rescue. Then her hopes sank as she realized it was more likely the princess.

Behind her, the cell door burst open. Sure enough, Princess Kirsten stepped in from the hall, wildly beckoning them to follow her out.

Without a word, Hans and Anna ran after the little princess. She led them down the dank dungeon hall. Most of the cells were empty, but a few contained sleeping occupants. Anna wondered at the absence of sentries.

 _I guess she took care of those?_ she thought, gaping at the princess's back.

They turned left at the end of the corridor into what Hans would have thought was a dead-end. There was a stairwell to their right. He turned toward that when he saw the wall to their left. But both Kirsten and Anna called to him. Anna almost reached out to touch the wall herself when she remembered she was supposed to be a stranger to the palace. She held back and waited for Kirsten to open the door to the secret passage behind the wall.

Kirsten reached out and dragged her finger between two stones that were lighter than the rest. When the lock clicked, Kirsten pushed on the bottom stone. A narrow section of the wall moved inward as a door would. Anna smirked as she heard Hans's intake of breath.

Hans just stood dumbly for a moment, looking less than enthusiastic about stepping into an unlit passageway in the walls. Anna grabbed him by the arm and pulled him in so that Kirsten could close the hidden door behind them.

"A secret passageway?" Hans asked in the darkness.

"Shhh! The walls surrounding the passage are thinner," Kirsten whispered. "Come!"

Anna hesitated, unable to see a thing. Then, a faint crackling noise filled the air and a small light twinkled in Kirsten's hands cupped together. The princess blew the light away from herself. The three watched it creep forward like flakes of snow in the wind. Anna wasn't sure whether it was or wasn't snow because of the way it glowed and lit the passage. But it was definitely magic—magic that allowed her to follow her great-great grandmother without worrying she'd trip over something in the dark.

"That was magic," Hans whispered after letting Kirsten gain some distance ahead of them.

"I know," Anna said.

"You don't seem surprised."

Anna shrugged. She had suspected something unusual about Princess Kirsten from the moment they met. The girl was all too like Elsa: the cagey conversation and reluctance for eye contact were tell-tale signs of someone who was used to isolation. The most unfortunate thing seemed to be that King Olaf had made no effort to understand his daughter's gift.

Not that King Agnarr had been much better.

Anna stopped in her tracks. _What?_ she thought. Had her parents known about Elsa's power? She stopped in place, pain tearing through her head like slashing claws as she felt on the verge of remembering...something.

"Anna?" Hans stopped when he noticed she'd fallen behind.

She stopped rubbing her forehead and smiled. "It's nothing! Random headache! C'mon, let's get moving!" She felt Hans's doubtful gaze follow her as she passed him to catch up with their liberator.

Kirsten had stopped at yet another apparent dead-end, though Anna knew that wall would open to the kitchens, which they would have to pass through to reach the next hidden passageway. She put on her best confused face as she approached Kirsten, however.

"We'll have to get through the kitchens to get to the next passage. They should be serving breakfast now. And the rest will be eating in the staff dining room," Kirsten explained.

Anna grinned, proud of the princess's planning. She nodded along with Hans to show they were ready whenever Kirsten was. Kirsten reached for a flameless torch on the wall to her right and rotated it clockwise. When she had fully rotated the torch and it clicked back into its original place, the dead-end wall shuddered and popped open. Kirsten dashed out in front of them. Anna moved to follow but immediately bumped into Kirsten. Hans, consequently, bumped into Anna, who then almost knocked the princess forward.

Anna grabbed Kirsten's shoulders to keep the girl from toppling face-first into the circle of angry faces awaiting them.

"Papa!" Kirsten gasped. Anna felt the princess tense. When she saw the dark look the king was giving them, she could understand why.

"This is too much, Kirsten," Queen Elsebet said, standing to the far left with a guard between her and the king.

"You were there when I went to talk with him," the princess said, balling her fists at first as she met her father's harsh glare with one of her own. Although she looked at him, she continued addressing the queen. "He wouldn't even listen. He's too stubborn. So I decided to act."

"You disobeyed your king!" King Olaf snapped.

"It was the _right_ thing to do. You wouldn't even listen to their story because the other troll hunter had already got you wrapped around his finger!" Kirsten retorted.

Anna's eyes moved between the two as they barked at one another. She had to give the princess credit. She had a stronger will than she would have imagined.

"Guards," the king said in a lowered voice. Somehow his sudden calm made everyone more nervous than when he'd been shouting. "Take _Hans_ to the throne room for his sentence."

Anna's eyes widened. _Sentence? What did he mean by that?_

"Papa! This was all my idea!" the princess objected.

"Now," the king ordered, completely unmoved by his daughter.

Without even thinking, Anna spread her arms out and stepped in between Hans and the approaching guards. She narrowed her eyes at a guard on the right who ordered her to move.

"Papa, stop this!" Kirsten shrieked.

"Enough!" the king snapped, shouting once again. "He is going to lead the troll hunter to the trolls' lands. You are going to stop this insolence at once, or so help me..." Somehow, beneath all the powdery makeup, King Olaf had gone purple with rage. Seeing this, Princess Kirsten quieted, glancing helplessly toward Hans and Anna.

The guards pushed past Anna, though she put up a fair fight. Two grabbed Hans as one held her away from him. Through all this, Hans stared at a distant point on the floor.

"Hans!" Anna said. "You know you can't!"

He wouldn't look up at her. Whether it was another episode of odd behavior or because he felt helpless, Anna didn't know. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she had to try to reach him anyway. She even jerked her arm free so she could try to grab at him, but the guard beside her yanked her back.

"Hans!" she repeated, raising her voice a little. "You can't take him there. There are children!"

With a wave of his hand, the king yelled over her. "Enough!" he ordered. "Take her away."

That was when Queen Elsebet decided to intervene. "My love," she cooed. "The dungeons are no place for a girl."

The king opened his mouth in irritation. But when his eyes fell upon his serene wife, it seemed enough to calm him. He looked off toward his daughter and scowled.

"Fine. I don't care where you keep her, but keep her away from him."

The guards started leading Hans away. That was when he met Anna's eyes. In that moment, the room disappeared around Anna as she just stared at Hans looking back at her. She saw that same softness she caught earlier. And although he looked away a heartbeat later, in _that_ moment, she felt hope.

She caught one last glimpse of auburn hair beyond the crowd before he was out of sight. Anna tore her eyes away from the kitchen exit to glare daggers at King Olaf. King Olaf ignored her entirely and gave a single curt nod to the guard on her arm. The guard moved to escort her away when Kirsten stepped up to him, her eyes narrowed in clear warning.

"Do you want to lose a hand to frostbite?" the princess threatened.

With a squeak, the guard practically threw Anna's arm free before backing up to his comrades on the right.

"You disappoint me, child," the king grumbled. When Kirsten refused to acknowledge that he'd spoken, the king scoffed. He left, a look of absolute disgust on his face when he turned away from his daughter.

Anna held back her gratitude when she saw her great-great grandmother on the verge of tears.

"May Anna stay with me for now, Mama?" Kirsten asked, her voice wavering.

"If she must..." Queen Elsebet answered after a pause. She seemed distracted by her husband's trail. Clearly the queen was more concerned about her husband's anger than her daughter's pain. "For now," she added. She mumbled a dismissal to the guards before she pursued the angry king.

When it was just the two of them, Anna expected Kirsten to fall apart. Instead, the princess turned toward her with a smile. "I'm sorry I failed. Follow me?"

Without awaiting a response, the princess walked toward the door leading out of the kitchens. Anna stood still for a second.

Now what? Would Hans be okay? Would _she_?

* * *

At first, Kirstoff refused to deal with the mirror shards. Instead he had hoped to poke around the Ice Maiden's castle. She must have known he would try as much, for he quickly discovered that every door to the hall was frozen shut. Oh, he tried pushing and pulling with all his strength, but not one door would budge. He then resigned himself to looking for a window. But they were too high up and largely blocked by snow.

 _If you want to leave this place before you grow old and die, make the mirror whole_.

He wasn't afraid of many things. Olaf had been creepy at first, but Kristoff eventually warmed up to him. Elsa's snow angels were eerie themselves, but they too were Elsa's creations. The Ice Maiden was cruel, but since she did not appear able to harm him directly, Kristoff could hardly be too frightened of her.

But the thought of being stuck in this winter castle well into old age absolutely terrified him.

He'd never save Sven or Maija and the other robbers. He'd never rescue Anna. He might never see Elsa again.

Kristoff actually sank to the icy floor as the gravity settled over him. Then he blinked, having to shield his eyes as light caught them. He shuffled to the side a little, hoping the changed position would protect his eyes. Then he looked down at the pile of broken mirror pieces. He glanced up. The sun wasn't exactly shining down through the windows. What had that light been?

There it was again! Kristoff blinked and looked down. A shard no bigger than his thumb glinted up at him. He almost reached for it, stopping himself just in time as he remembered Grand Pabbie's warning about truth mirrors.

_Imagine a mirror that can only show us the truth. It would never reflect what we show it... instead, it might show us our most secret desires or deepest fears. It might show one's past; it might show one's enemy. Such power could work miracles, but it could also drive one mad._

That left him with a conundrum. If Kristoff refused to help out with the mirror, the Ice Maiden might keep him alive and alone for as long as she could. He'd certainly go mad.

But...if he dared touch the mirror, it too might drive him mad.

Kristoff gritted his teeth over his lousy options.

The mirror shard glittered again, startling him. He definitely wasn't imagining it unless the mirror had already driven him mad.

He scowled. Maybe if he just got a closer look...

He got on his knees and leaned over, seeing light flash across the single mirror piece yet again. As he got closer, Kristoff thought he could see movement in that single shard. Then he _did_ see movement in it. Unable to help himself, Kristoff reached down and picked up the mirror fragment, his eyes widening in recognition.

The mirror showed him his enemy. But his enemy was not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Yes, you'll have more answers in the next chapter. But not ALL of the answers. ;P


	35. The Perfect View

Although Kristoff had only seen him a handful of times, he recognized the auburn hair in the mirror instantly. There was the man who had set into motion the very events leading up to the ice harvester's capture. Kristoff sat back on his feet with the mirror shard flat on his open palms as he watched the mirror's scene unfurl. As his confusion grew over the appearance of Arendelle guards and Weselton's men, Kristoff turned the mirror shard to and fro to try and capture more of the setting. Although the location was hard to place, he knew the event in the mirror had to have already taken place. For one thing, there was still snow on the ground.

Kristoff glared down at His Royal Backstabber's face. The prince's mouth moved. Alas, there was no sound and lipreading was not one of the ice harvester's skills. He brought the mirror shard closer to his face to give a try anyway, surprised to find that looking at the mirror was more like looking through a window. It did not even show Kristoff's reflection.

In the mirror, the prince's eyes moved down as one of the castle guards approached him. The guard passed over some burden for Prince Hans to carry, though the cut of the mirror fragment made it difficult to see without moving the fragment around. Kristoff tilted the fragment toward himself, catching a flash of white-blonde hair and a silvery blue dress train. His hands froze, carefully adjusting the mirror fragment until the incapacitated Queen Elsa came into view.

"Ah!" he hissed as a corner of the mirror fragment pierced his skin. He'd clutched it too tightly when he spotted Elsa like that: helpless in Hans's arms.

A drop of red spilled onto the icy floor. Kristoff fumbled for the handkerchief in his pocket to wrap around his pricked finger.

He reminded himself that the scene was now past, but that didn't stop his blood from boiling. What did help was reminding himself that Elsa was safe in her palace right now. Kristoff suspected the mirror was showing him the day that Prince Hans and a party of men had sought out the ice palace. He just didn't understand _why_ the mirror was showing him that particular moment.

Prince Hans hesitated as the men around him moved to leave the North Mountain. Kristoff's eyes narrowed, listening to an instinct within telling him to watch carefully. The prince looked back up toward the mountain peak as though he had heard something. He opened his mouth, but of course Kristoff could not hear what had been said. The queen was carefully handed off to the nearest guard. After another voiceless word from the prince, the rest of the party marched ahead after nodding or bowing to Hans, all save for Weselton's two men. They remained rather defiantly, but were sent off after a stern word from Prince Hans.

Kristoff only wished he could hear them. What if it was important? The red uniforms acquiesced, leaving just Hans visible at the base of the stairwell to the ice palace.

Hans stood so motionless in the mirror now that for a moment Kristoff thought that was the end of what the mirror had to show him. It was a good thing he was paying attention when the prince's features sharpened in alertness. Kristoff had been about to put the mirror down when he caught it.

Prince Hans had seen something. Not only that, but he was watching... _something_. Whatever it was had caught him off-guard and now approached him. Only Kristoff couldn't see it yet. Was it just Weselton's men turning back for him?

Kristoff frowned, seeing a shadow come up in the snow on the bottom right corner of the shard. It grew taller as the person drew nearer. Kristoff would have adjusted the mirror to see, but he was curious at the changing expressions on Prince Hans's face.

First, the prince narrowed his eyes at the approaching form. He tilted his head just slightly as if trying to recall something. Then his leafy green eyes widened in recognition. Even Kristoff did a double-take as the back of the Ice Maiden appeared in the mirror. She walked up to Prince Hans, her long white hair blowing across her back in the strong winds of the mountain. The prince's recognition slowly changed to disbelief. Kristoff too was not sure what he was looking at. Why did it look like Hans knew the Ice Maiden? _Wait, if she was at the North Mountain that day, then—_

The thought died before completion. The Ice Maiden had stopped mere inches from the prince, but Kristoff could only see the back of her head. What was she...was she talking? Was Hans? There was no telling at the current angle.

Grumbling, Kristoff jumped up and side-stepped to the left with the mirror fragment held out in front of himself. As he had thought, the mirror fragment continued acting as a moving window rather than a reflecting surface. He was able to find an angle that showed him the prince and the Ice Maiden's profiles, and _then_ he was able to see what they were—

She had _kissed_ the prince; the Ice Maiden had her mouth against his. She was practically sucking face with Prince Hans _and_ taking her sweet time doing it!

Kristoff's jaw dropped. It didn't surprise him that Prince Hans wasn't pulling away in disgust; the Ice Maiden was beautiful, and Prince Hans rather came off as a sort of 'charmer' based on things Anna had shared. Kristoff coughed, looking over his shoulder as though the Ice Maiden might be watching from a distant corner of the room. Then he looked back into the mirror and—to his stomach's discomfort—found the Ice Maiden's frosty lips were _still_ locked with the prince's.

 _Maybe they got stuck_? he thought, groaning over more sinister probabilities. "Just what the hell is going on?!"

Why would Prince Hans know the Ice Maiden? He was from the Southern Isles! When would he have had the time to meet her up in this arctic wasteland?

Were they in cahoots to take over Arendelle?

He had to tell Elsa.

"Anna," he murmured, now fully realizing the danger Anna could be in if she _had_ found Hans. Hans was dangerous all on his own, but the Ice Maiden could freeze people in seconds.

The memory crashed over him: Anna turned to ice upon the fjord, snowflakes whipping all around her and Elsa's sobbing form.

Kristoff dropped the mirror shard and bolted for the main doors. He would tear the doors down if he had to, but he _would_ get out to help the sisters. He only got halfway there when an icy gale forced the doors open. Kristoff skidded to an unsteady halt as one of the ice minions entered the hall. She seemed indifferent to the fact that he'd been charging toward her. She merely marched straight to him with a plate in her blue hands.

He did not move a muscle even as she stopped in front of him, extending the plate to him. He looked down to see a pile of cloudberries on it, although he was cynical about the offering.

The minion peered around him. At first, Kristoff wasn't sure what she could be looking at. It was just him in the hall with her. Then when she snarled at him, he realized what it was. He had not worked on the Ice Maiden's mirror. Well, not in the way the Ice Maiden would have liked, anyway.

Kristoff rolled his eyes and snatched the plate from her. "Relax," he snapped. "I couldn't work on an empty stomach."

Yes, lying would be best for now.

He gazed behind her, yearning to race toward the open hall doors. But he knew he wouldn't get far with other ice minions lurking about the castle. He wouldn't be any help to Anna or Elsa if he died trying to blindly force his way out.

No, first he would have to learn more about the castle and its inhabitants.

The ice minion huffed at him to express her skepticism and then whirled away from him.

"Thanks for the berries!" Kristoff shouted after her, injecting his tone with as much sarcasm as possible.

The minion appeared not to have heard him, however, and just glided all the way back to the door. Naturally the doors slammed shut behind her after she stepped into the next hall.

Kristoff grimaced at the berries on his plate. He hoped the Ice Maiden didn't plan on an all-berry diet for him. Things were bad enough as is. But at least he'd learned something about her _and_ the conniving prince.

Not that he had any idea what it meant yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few updates may be shorter chapters. I want to keep updating regularly, but it's hard to consistently write longer chapters at the pace I set for myself. If I were updating every two weeks or so, that would be another story. Actually, maybe I'll leave it up to the readers.
> 
> Would you rather have longer chapters every other week or (probably, but not always) shorter updates at the pace I've been going (every 7-10 days with some exceptions)? Let me know and I will take that into consideration. I don't want to let anyone down, but I just don't have the schedule to write lengthy chapters every week.
> 
> ...or maybe I'll just do what I want! :P Jk, I need some sort of schedule to keep me going.
> 
> Thanks for following! And I want to give a special thank you to those who are commenting regularly. It means a lot to me. :D


	36. The Family Curse

The princesses sipped from dainty teacups as they watched the dawn bring light to the fjord beyond the window. In the future, the room would be Anna's bedroom. She found herself reflecting on a brief time in between, when she and Elsa had shared the room as children.

They hadn't said much since Kirsten asked Anna to follow her. Even after the tea—a flowery brew with a spoonful of honey—was poured and tasted, Anna could not find words. Without her realizing it, Hans had become her anchor to home. Even when they'd bickered, his presence had been reassuring.

Now that was gone.

Kirsten moved to gently set her cup down on the small table between them. "It was what you said about keeping hope alive," she said. "That's why I believed you. The other troll hunter didn't offer that. He just seemed determined to add to his list of kills."

Anna glanced at the princess from the corner of her eye, again noting the likeness between Kirsten and Elsa. Now the morning light gave Kirsten's face a golden glow, but it did not diminish the sadness in her eyes.

"So... the first night you two were put in the dungeons, I went to speak with the king..." Kirsten explained.

 _The king_ , Anna thought. _Not 'my father'._ Kirsten was trying to put distance between herself and King Olaf.

"But I should have known he wouldn't listen to me," the princess continued, lowering her bitter gaze to the table. "If I hadn't said anything, he wouldn't have expected you to break out."

Then Anna understood. Kirsten was not just angry with her father but with herself as well.

"It's not your fault," Anna blurted out, sure she had interrupted. But she couldn't bear the princess's guilt.

Kirsten looked over to her, a little startled. Perhaps she had expected Anna to lay the blame with her.

"Do you mean that?"

Anna studied the young woman beside her now. She tried to match her up with her Great-Great Grandmother, the Queen Kirsten Anna's mother had spoken of. Queen Iduna had been somewhat shy among her husband's family at the start of her marriage. It had been strange, elderly Kirsten who'd nagged her into becoming comfortable in her own skin. Iduna had spoken of midwinter picnics in the forest and ice fishing as two of her peculiar Great-Grandmother-in-Law's famous pastimes.

But Iduna had also said that Queen Kirsten, while a confident individual, had kept to herself a great deal of the time. After a nostalgic chuckle, Iduna would tell her daughters, " _She always seemed to know something the rest of us couldn't figure out._ "

It was thus that Queen Kirsten had become sort of an admirable figure of strength and mystery in Anna's mind. Princess Kirsten appeared to have a long way to go in becoming that woman.

Anna nodded. "Truthfully, I don't think anyone is really at fault. King Olaf doesn't understand much about the trolls... and the trolls don't understand much about the people of Arendelle. If both groups met halfway, perhaps there could be more understanding... what?" She stopped when she realized Princess Kirsten was staring at her.

"Oh, it's just... that's an equitable conclusion," Kirsten said, smiling.

"I was just thinking of my sister and myself. We used to be really close! Then there was an incident... which created a misunderstanding that spanned for years. It took a blizzard and a lot of badgering on my part to meet halfway, but I think we understand one another again..."

"A blizzard?" Kirsten asked.

"Err, ah, oh?! Did I say blizzard?! That's um... that's just a term we use back in Grimmstad. It means a really big falling-out," Anna responded a mile a minute, mentally kicking herself for not thinking before she spoke. But to her relief, the princess just laughed.

"You're so odd, Miss Anna!" The princess giggled. "But there is also something about you..." She narrowed her eyes as she looked over at Anna like a kind of specimen. It made Anna nervous.

"Is there?" she asked, blinking several times.

Kirsten nodded. "I'm not sure what it is, but I feel for sure you can be trusted."

Before she could think it through, Anna asked, "Is that why you were willing to reveal your powers in order to bail us out?"

The princess's giggling quieted but she nodded with a faint smile upon her lips.

"It must be tough," Anna said. "Having power like that with a father like King Olaf."

"You have no idea. But apparently it runs in the family."

As soon as she'd said it, the princess slapped a hand over her mouth. She realized she'd said too much.

Anna reached out and touched Kirsten's shoulder. "It's okay. You can tell me."

Kirsten relaxed a little but looked off toward the window. She wrinkled her nose and sighed in thought, glancing once at Anna before she took another sip of her tea. Clearly this was an uncomfortable subject for her. But Anna was dying to know more.

"Neither of my parents," she said at first. Anna's face scrunched up with confusion, but then again she knew for sure Elsa had not inherited her magic from _their_ parents. "When I was a little girl and my powers first came to light, there were a few... incidents. It was a long time ago and I didn't know how to control it. No one got hurt, but the servants started talking."

Anna was sure King Olaf had been thrilled about that.

"One day, I overheard them talking about my uncle... Prince Nils, my father's brother. He had been Crown Prince, actually."

Anna perked up in her seat. So the king had a brother! A Crown Prince brother! But then why was Olaf the king?

"My uncle had the same kind of power. Only, he... there was an accident... a bad one. Unable to face it, Nils ran away. My aunts had not even been born yet, so that left my father to inherit the throne."

Anna had to close her mouth when she realized it was hanging open. Dozens of questions poured through her head at once, each one vying to get out first.

"No one ever saw Nils again?" Anna asked, wondering what could have become of him.

The princess shook her head and drank the last of her tea, shakily setting the empty cup back on its saucer with a 'clink' that broke her silent pause. "Supposedly there was a woman involved. A woman my uncle wanted to marry. The, ah... 'blizzard' he had with his parents was about that. It was what triggered the accident. The servants said he ran away after that. No one's seen him since."

They both sat in pensive quiet for a few seconds. Then, Kirsten added, "I had known my father had a much older brother, but he never told me all that. I just thought Uncle Nils passed away. My father was very young at the time, so I'm not sure how much he remembers. But... I always had the feeling he never wanted to be king."

Anna's head was spinning with even more questions. "Wait, what about before your uncle? Did anyone else show signs of having the same magic?"

Kirsten shrugged, seeming to have finally relaxed about the topic. "I don't know... there's no record of it. Believe me, I've looked. And obviously no one talks about it, so who can be sure?" She raised her eyebrow. "Why so curious?"

Anna wanted so much in that moment to break down and tell Kirsten who she was. Then she could tell her all about Elsa!

But could that impact the future, _her_ present?

It was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

"I just think it's wonderful that you have such a gift..." she answered, and it was the truth. "It's a shame your father doesn't feel the same way."

"It's hard for him to feel that way when he sees it as the family curse," Kirsten said. But the anger had dissipated from her voice. "Thank you, Anna."

Anna was just glad to see Kirsten feeling better. Now if only she too could feel better. It must have shown on her face, for the princess leaned toward her.

"Are you worried about Hans?" Kirsten asked.

Anna nodded. "And the trolls too... they're not all violent. They're actually quite peaceful! I would hate for something to happen to them all."

"Does your brother feel the same way?"

For a moment, Anna looked confused. Then she realized Kirsten meant Hans.

"He's not... ah—" she caught herself, "—I don't know how he feels." That applied to more than just about the trolls. She had seen so many different sides to Hans over the past week, it was getting hard to keep up with them all: Prince Charming, Scheming Villain, Bullied Brother, Anti-Hero, Unexpected Friend.

_Friend? Should I really be calling him that?_

"He's not your brother, is he?"

Anna could tell from the phrasing that Kirsten already knew the answer. There was no point in lying, but she didn't want to blow their cover. Doing so would reveal that Hans had lied and that she, _trustworthy_ Anna, had been in on it.

_Damn it, Hans._

"What makes you say that?" she asked with a laugh.

"The way you looked at one another when they took him. There was... something."

Anna snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Or did she?

* * *

When Elsa finished telling Olaf about her meeting with the nobles, the snowman looked about ready to explode from the information overload. But he quickly snapped himself out of it with an animated shake of his lumpy head. Elsa waited for him to smile again before she resumed speaking.

She knelt on the floor in her room to more easily be on eye-level with him. The next part was very important. "So, Olaf... while I work on getting to know the other nobles, I was wondering if you could do me a favor," she said.

Olaf remembered what happened the _last_ time he did someone a favor, but he couldn't possibly say no to Elsa!

He smiled. "Anything for you!" he said, and he meant it.

"Do you think you could spy on Lord Harald?" she asked. "It'll be too obvious if I do it."

" _Spy_?!" Olaf repeated in a half-gasp. Elsa looked concerned by this reaction until he jumped up into the air and wiggled his stick hands in excitement. "Of _course_! I just have to keep an eye on him and be sneaky about it, right?!"

"Um, yes, that's right."

"Like a secret agent!"

"Well, sort of."

"A mole!"

"Uh—"

"He'll never suspect me!"

"Yes, that's the idea—"

"I'll do it!" Olaf exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

Elsa giggled over his enthusiasm. She had been worried she'd have to ask Gerda. With Kai in his current state, there would have been no one else.

"Oooh!" Olaf suddenly said. "Gyda can help! And Sofia!"

"Sofia?"

"She works in the kitchens!"

"I think the fewer people that are in on this, the better..."

"We can trust Sofia!" Olaf assured her.

"Are you sure?"

Olaf nodded. "The more, the merrier, right?!" He knew she felt a little lost without Anna, Kai and Kristoff around.

Elsa smiled half-heartedly. "I should leave for Lady Cathrine's now... remember, don't let anyone catch on to what we're doing. And Olaf, you mustn't tell _anyone_ about my suspicions."

"You've got it! My lips are sealed!"

"Now... do you think you can distract Harald so he does not figure out where I'm going, at least not right away? I'd rather he not try and stop or follow me."

Olaf saluted. "I can do that!"

"Great. Thank you, Olaf!"

They hugged before she left. Then Olaf was left to hunt down Lord Harald.

* * *

Olaf spent the rest of the morning skulking and creeping about the palace like a little maniac on a mission. He learned in the first half hour that Lord Harald was not an easy man to find. He had first searched all the places Olaf had seen the man thus far: the Great Hall, the council chamber and the east stairwell. When none of those places turned up any results, Olaf next checked the courtyard and the stables.

Whenever possible, he ducked out of sight from passing guards and servants, remembering Elsa's request to keep his task a secret. If he were seen looking for Lord Harald, no doubt someone would ask questions. Olaf would prefer not to lie if it could be avoided.

He had no luck at the courtyard or stables, nor in the library or the kitchens. It wasn't until he was heading back to Elsa's chambers that he encountered Lord Harald, by chance, coming down the stairwell from the third level of the palace.

 _Ahah!_ Olaf thought, stopping in place and staring at Lord Harald as the noble made his descent.

Lord Harald hadn't noticed him right away. When he did, he gave a start.

Olaf tried to decide on the spot whether His Lordship _looked_ like he was up to something. Unfortunately, just having a dark, well-trimmed beard was not much to go on. Neither Kristoff nor Hans had facial hair and they were polar opposites in their trustworthiness.

Unless one counted Hans's sideburns...

Olaf narrowed his eyes at the increasingly disturbed Lord Harald approaching him on the stairs. Somehow judging a human based on his amount of hair didn't seem fair. Kristoff had loads of hair in other places to make up for the lack of hair on his face, for example.

"What are you doing?" Lord Harald snapped, having grown impatient with Olaf's scrutiny.

Olaf put on his widest smile and waved to the grumpy noble. "Good morning! My name's Olaf and I—"

"You like warm hugs, yes, I know. I heard your spiel before!"

"Queen Elsa isn't feeling well this morning. She knows you have to return to Grimmstad, so she asked me to accompany you to breakfast," Olaf said. He wanted to point out that it seemed like Lord Harald also felt unwell and could use a hug, but he thought better of it.

"What do snowmen eat?"

Olaf paused before laughing hysterically.

Lord Harald was visibly perturbed by this response and decided not to ask Olaf any more questions.

At breakfast, Olaf just sat and watched Lord Harald eat his meal. Occasionally, he would ask what a certain food tasted like. Most of the time, Lord Harald could not think of an answer. If Olaf could not eat food, how could he understand words like 'buttery' and 'crumbly' about a pastry?

Finally, Lord Harald was spared further questioning when his manservant entered the dining hall. Liam stalked directly to His Lordship and whispered something into the older man's ear. Olaf watched with keen interest when Lord Harald's eyes grew bigger.

"What? Are you sure? But..." the lord trailed off, glancing at Olaf on the other side of the table. Olaf hoped they did not hear him gulp.

But the moment passed. Lord Harald quickly said, "You must be mistaken. Go see that the carriage is ready."

Liam flashed Olaf a mild glare before taking his leave.

"So... Lord Harald," Olaf spoke up, attempting to appear as unfazed and normal as possible. He also wanted to stall Lord Harald from getting up to leave just in case Elsa had somehow not left the palace yet. "Do you... miss... being regent?"

The question was met with raised eyebrows and an awkward silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smooth, Olaf. Smooth.
> 
> Oh and you can apparently ignore my last author's note. I will just do what I've been doing on the schedule I've been doing it on (har, not at all a redundant statement). My point is just that I will still plan to update within every 7-10 days with whatever length of chapter feels necessary or doable.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	37. The Ice Maiden

If Nissa's heart broke on the day she said goodbye to Mattheus, then it was now as if someone took a hammer to the pieces. She shrieked in agony and clawed at the witch's stony arms. The mirror no longer had to replay the scene for her. Over and over, her cruel mind's eye showed it to her: her fisherman stepped off the edge of the cliffs, plummeting to the rocks protruding through deep waves below.

While the sea witch had at first been amused by the mermaid's shock, the crying grew old at once. Tutting, she managed to shake Nissa off long enough to set the mirror back on its bed of pearls.

"Now, this is just undignified, little one," the sea witch said, turning back to watch the pathetic child pull at its now-white hair. "I've done you a favor, the way I see it."

Nissa managed to pause long enough to choke out, "A favor?"

"Why, yes!" The witch took Nissa's trembling hands and squeezed them in a death grip. "Mortals only live a short time, don't they? And besides that, their heads are full of such folly." The witch pouted now and clapped Nissa's tear-stained cheeks. "Poor princess. But when you really think about it, you'll see he's not worth all this… ruckus."

Nissa backed away. Her pale face contorted in fear, but also wonder. How could a creature of the sea—the sea she loved—be so monstrous?

"It's my fault that he..."

The witch stretched her hand out, interrupting. "Yes. It's your fault. Now, you can leave and either live with that," she smiled, "or not."

There was nothing friendly in that smile. The mermaid couldn't help but stare. Again, the witch's absence of warmth and sympathy utterly mystified Nissa.

Then it dawned on her. "You could help me," Nissa whispered.

"I could what?"

Now it was the sea witch's turn to be bewildered.

"You could make me like you," Nissa explained.

The witch clucked and cackled at the very idea.

"There can only be _one_ of me."

Nissa looked deep in thought as she circled around the sea witch.

"Well... your mirror can do things," she explained.

Intrigued, the witch waited for Nissa to say more. She had thought that by now the little mermaid would have gone to get herself harpooned.

"It took my hair color... it can take my pain away. I don't to feel this way for the rest of my life..."

"It's like I said, dear. Live with it or don't."

"I know I won't be free of this unless you help me."

Now the sea witch's patience had run out. Who did the brat think she was, pushing for another deal? The witch had wanted to see the mermaid squirm and cry, but now the fun was over.

"You don't have anything else to offer me, silly child."

She dismissed the mermaid with a wave of her hand, annoyed to find that Nissa would not be sent away so easily.

"This is no longer about what you can gain," the mermaid snapped. "But about what you could lose."

The sea witch was actually impressed when the young thing smiled at her. It was probably the grief and the anger, but _something_ had definitely changed little Nissa.

With a laugh, the witch asked, "Are you threatening me?"

"Let me just put it this way: if you don't help me, I'll tell the sea king where you've been hiding all these years."

The sea witch looked her opponent up and down. Nissa was several heads and tails smaller—and weaker—than herself. Yes... something had definitely gotten into the little shrimp to make her think she could threaten the sea witch. Was the child that blinded by her loss?

Such fun they'd had. What a shame! But it had been an awfully long time since the witch had tasted a mermaid's broken heart. Nissa was tiny, but she'd still make a decent enough rib stew.

"What makes you think I won't snap your itty-bitty bones right here before you can swim off to Daddy?"

The sea witch felt a thrill as Nissa's eyes widened at the graphic threat. The mermaid stepped away with her hands behind her back. But she quickly relaxed. Too quickly.

"Because I snatched this."

Nissa held up the sea witch's jagged mirror.

"I see." The witch smiled as she exhaled.

In a torrent of tentacles and snarls, the witch dove for the mirror in Nissa's hands. They spun through the water, scattering fish away from them as Nissa elbowed the witch's face. Nissa fought as hard as she could, knowing her chance for freedom—and possibly life itself—would be gone if she lost the mirror. The sea witch in turn scratched and slashed at Nissa's bare stomach to lure the mermaid's other arm away from its shield position over her chest, where Nissa cradled the mirror shard.

Suddenly, Nissa's scream pierced the sea witch's ears as red tainted the water. But the sound was nothing to the senses compared to the following white light that enveloped the two of them and then the entire cavern.

In an instant, the light was gone. But the cavern was changed. They were no longer at the bottom of the ocean.

The sea witch gasped and croaked upon the frosty ground, her body writhing from both the chill and from being out of water. "So c-c-cold... p-please... w-what hav-have y-you...?" She crawled, dragging herself across the ice, wincing as the frozen rocks beneath her scraped her belly. It was the mirror, she knew it. It must have reacted to her rage and Nissa's wish to feel nothing. If she could get the mirror back, she could reverse the effect on the cavern and then wring the mermaid's stupid little neck.

The sea witch stopped, seeing a pair of snow-white feet across from her. That couldn't be right. She looked up. An altered Nissa stared back down at her, unaffected by the cold.

"Y-you... what d-d-did y-you d-do...?" the witch choked.

"I won't kill you this time," the Ice Maiden answered. "But I'm taking this with me."

The witch, so distracted by the stinging cold, did not understand at first. Then she saw the mirror glint at her from the Ice Maiden's hand.

"N-no... y-you have t-t-to—"

"I don't have to do anything, witch. Not anymore."

She turned and admired the crevasse all around them. She'd never seen anything so beautiful. The moment was slightly ruined by the weak cackling of the sea witch behind her.

"Y-y-you m-must f-f-feel p-p-pretty important-t-t now."

"Feel?" the Ice Maiden asked. She looked down at her legs, noting that she was no lounger bound to the sea as the witch would be.

The mirror glittered with sunlight from above, catching the Ice Maiden's eye again. If she could, she would have smiled. The mirror's power was hers now.

Its power would fulfill her where love had not.

* * *

Anna awoke with a start and knocked her teacup and its saucer off the table. Too sluggish in her sleepy state, she could not catch either one before they smashed into pieces on the floor.

"I'm sorry!" she said, quickly turning her head to look for Kirsten. But the princess had left the room. "Great, Anna. Real polite, falling asleep on your Great-Great-Grandmother like that. What riveting company you make."

She crouched down to examine the damaged porcelain. She smiled as she only now recognized the golden-rimmed pattern of pale pink roses over pale green. She'd been so disconsolate earlier, she hadn't even realized she and Kirsten were drinking from her mother's favorite tea set.

She swallowed back the urge to cry as she thought of her mother's face. It had already been a few years, but Anna missed her parents every day. Still, as long as she didn't overthink their absence, she had gotten to a point where she felt okay.

At least she had Elsa!

_Elsa..._

She was unable to help it when the tears came this time. She sniffed and wiped them away before she decided to re-focus on cleaning up the mess she'd made. Of course, the first piece of broken china she reached for scratched her with its sharp, broken edge.

Anna yelped and brought her finger to her mouth when she saw a drop of red pool out. Grumbling at the culpable teacup—or saucer, as she couldn't tell what was what now—and feeling generally sour, she tried to distract herself from the stinging wound by thinking back to the strange dreams she'd been having.

First, there was the fisherman... then his mermaid who became the Ice Maiden. Oh, and the sea witch! They all seemed like part of one story, but why was it in her head? Was her mind coming up with it all on its own? She knew she was imaginative, but maybe not _that_ imaginative.

Was it possible that the characters were real?

Well, the Ice Maiden was clearly based off of that page from the hunter's log—the one Hans had been obsessing over. Where Anna had dreamt up the rest from, she couldn't be sure.

Anna shuddered as she recalled the most recent dream. Nissa's total transformation had been as startling to Anna as it had been to the sea witch. The Ice Maiden seemed as unfeeling as Nissa had wanted to be. But there was something familiar about her.

She hated to make the comparison, but she kept thinking of Elsa... and now Kirsten too.

Anna pulled one of the small cloth napkins from the table and carefully used it to collect the broken tea cup and saucer. She blushed a little at the sound of the door opening, knowing Kirsten would see how clumsy she'd been.

"Oh, Miss Anna! Please," Kirsten said, crouching down with her to still Anna's arm. "I'll ask the servants to tend to this. You've been through enough right now."

Anna could see from the princess's intensity that it would be no use arguing with her. So, she allowed Kirsten to help her up on her feet.

"Would you like to walk the castle with me? I can give you the grand tour," Kirsten offered. Then she bit her lip with worry.

Anna refrained from saying she already knew the castle well. Besides, Kirsten was clearly trying to help take her mind off of everything.

_That would be nice... for a little while._

"Sure!"

* * *

After a few more unsuccessful attempts at finding a hidden exit—in the floor, behind stiff tapestries, in cracks on the frosty wall—Kristoff finally gave up. An hour after his final search, he was back on the icy floor, actually putting a tiny section of the mirror back together. At least pretending to be at the task might buy him time to plan an escape. He was also hoping one of the mirror fragments might show him something again. The puzzle was challenging, but it became a bore after a while. He'd never been in his own company for so long. Sven had been with him for so long, he barely remembered solitude.

Kristoff's face grew hot with anger when he thought of his best friend alone and frozen somewhere in the witch's ice castle, probably in an unlit room. Perhaps Sven was surrounded by creatures of the same fate.

Could Sven feel and think in that state? Kristoff cringed as he thought about it. It would be better to be numb and asleep throughout.

Kristoff went back to his puzzle. Agonizing wouldn't help Sven or himself. But more revelations from the mirror might.

"Or is that what it wants me to think?" he thought aloud.

His stomach answered with a growl, reminding him of his unpleasant snack earlier. Hoping his next meal would be more substantial, Kristoff picked up the next mirror piece. He almost dropped it when it flashed with light. Catching it before it fell back onto the pile, Kristoff scowled.

"A little warning would be nice," he grumbled. Curious as to what it would show this time, he held the fragment closer.

It was a little easier this time as it was a larger piece of mirror. But once again, there was no sound. At first, Kristoff saw a grassy hill dotted with trees. Then a cabin on the hilltop came into view. When he saw the water it looked out over, he thought he was looking at Arendelle; but it was the ocean, not Odin's Fjord. The view closed in through the cabin window, where a strawberry blond-haired boy in a brown medieval kyrtill spoke to a pregnant woman, presumably the boy's mother. The boy looked out the window as he spoke, looking deeply troubled by something.

Kristoff scoffed. "Great! Very useful, mirror. ...not."

The mirror flashed sharply, hurting Kristoff's eyes.

"Argh, _hey_!"

The boy buttered a piece of lefse and brushed it with sugar before he handed it off to his mother. The view focused on the lefse for a moment, making Kristoff's mouth water.

"That's just mean..."

Suddenly, the child jumped up and down, pointing out the window. He looked to his mother as if for permission. She was a sturdy brunette with a kind but tired face. With one nod from her, the little boy ran out of the cabin to meet a man coming up the road.

"So, we've got a boy, his pregnant mother and..." Kristoff watched as the man on the road bent down with his arms held out for the boy to jump up. "Father." The man swung his son around, both of them laughing. The two exchanged happy words, unintelligible to Kristoff but something the boy nodded about. This stopped when something behind the man caught his son's eye.

"Who's that?" Kristoff said, finally able to read lips as the boy asked the question and pointed down the road.

When the father turned, the color drained from his face. He mouthed something, but it was too quick and short for Kristoff to read. Frustrated, Kristoff shook the mirror fragment. Mid-motion, he caught a glimpse of a white figure standing on the road below the boy and his father.

Kristoff groaned when the scene faded and the mirror fragment went blank. "Don't tell me..." He gave the fragment another little shake, startled as a few images quickly flashed across its surface.

First, he saw the boy running back to the cabin.

Next, the Ice Maiden appeared face-to-face with the boy's father.

Then, back in the cabin, the boy's mother screamed noiselessly in the mirror as strange, silver threads wound round and round her large belly.

Lastly, the father and the Ice Maiden stood alone on the hill. He shouted something to her retreating form.

The mirror went blank again, leaving a perplexed Kristoff to stare at its still surface.

* * *

The queen tapped her neatly manicured fingers against the carriage window as she pondered over that morning's conversation with Lady Cathrine. The summery forest spun past on her journey back to the palace. The birdsong and bright greenery may as well have been absent for the amount of attention Elsa spared any of it. This had even been her first trip beyond town outside of winter! But then, perhaps a part of her subconsciously preferred the cold, slumbering season to the sunny warmth outside.

Lady Cathrine had sworn her loyalty to Elsa with a promise to advise and aid the young queen in any way she could. Elsa supposed that in itself was reassuring.

"I believe Lord Harald is deserving of your trust."

The words prickled at the queen. After receiving the pledge of loyalty, Elsa had laid out all of her concerns and suspicions about Harald's possible "nostalgia" for his regency.

It wasn't that Lady Cathrine had been dismissive. On the contrary, she took Elsa's burden quite seriously. But she had gone on to describe her many meetings with the lord during his time as regent.

"Honestly, ruling always seemed to be a bit of a burden on the man..."

"Really?" Elsa found that hard to believe what with the way Harald always had a suggestion ready.

"Oh, you know... it was always Grimmstad this, Grimmstad that. He hated being away from home, I think."

"Why didn't he just step down then? Surely someone else could have stepped up."

Lady Cathrine had patted her hand then, a gesture that was oddly familiar for their new relationship, but still something of a comfort to Elsa.

"I'm sure he saw it as a favor to your father. King Agnarr was a beloved ruler, you know. Even after your family became somewhat...reclusive."

But there was still the matter of Kai's ice sculpture being dragged out to frighten the townspeople.

"Who would do such a thing?" Elsa had asked. "I'm afraid someone is trying to stir up more trouble than we need."

Lady Cathrine had agreed with her. The ice sculpture incident had definitely seemed intended to reflect poorly on the queen.

"Perhaps a spy left behind by that Duke of Weselton? Otherwise, I can't think who... but rest assured, Your Majesty. I will keep my eyes and ears sharp."

Elsa highly doubted that Lady Cathrine would be able to help on that front. But it was nice to finally have a friend.

As the carriage drew up to the palace, Elsa thought more on the possibility that the duke had left someone behind. He'd had what, two body guards with him?

A sudden chill swept through Elsa as she failed to recall the two men's arrest. Had they boarded the ship back to Weselton or remained here in Arendelle? With Kai gone, who could she ask?

A cracking sound brought her back to the present. She looked around at the ice that had snaked across the carriage walls around her. Quickly, she shut her eyes.

 _Love thaws, Elsa. Think of something happy_.

She thought of glossy chestnut eyes and dark brows masked by shaggy flaxen hair.

Elsa's eyes popped back open in alarm.

_Why would that...?_

But as she looked about her, she found not one sliver of ice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Check out below for answers to some inquiries. Or, if you prefer to figure stuff out totally on your own, you can ignore it. :o
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> Mattheus?
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> Okay, no one's asked that yet. But just in case, that's the fisherman. Yes, he finally gets a name.
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> What happened to Crown Prince Nils?
> 
> I was sneaky with this one. But Uncle Nils actually gets mentioned in one of the earlier chapters, though not by name. Sorry, not giving away any more than that! If you don't feel like going back to figure it out, I promise you'll get an explanation in a few chapters.
> 
> .
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> How long is this story going to go on for?
> 
> Yikes! Lol As long as it needs to? The plot is planned out from point A to Z. I just don't have a consistent schedule and I'm not very disciplined as far as how many words per chapter. I do whatever feels 'right'… I wasn't planning to go beyond 70 chapters though, and I'd be very surprised if I get that far. The story probably feels longer than it is because there have been several shorter updates just so that I could stick to my 7-10 days. It will end, don't worry. ;P I've got other stories I want to work on soon.
> 
> .
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> What does the Ice Maiden have to do with Hans?
> 
> I can't say yet! But hopefully you appreciated getting her origin in this chapter. I can confirm that she is the one responsible for Hans's weirdo behavior though, as if that weren't obvious by now.
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> Are the mirror from "The Snow Queen" and the mirror from "Snow White" one and the same?
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> Yes! The mirror from "Snow White" is part(s) of the mirror from "The Snow Queen".
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> Is Maija Snow White?
> 
> Yes! Though her story differs from the story we know (hence her disapproving comment about the campfire tale), her character represents Snow White/the Robber Girl just as Nissa's character represents the Little Mermaid/the Ice Maiden.
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> Is Lord Harald really the villain in the present timeline?
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> Lady Cathrine doesn't seem to think so!
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> Is Hans that important to wage war for? Or is this the work of the ice maiden? (Refers back to the letter from the Southern Isles in chapter 14)
> 
> Compelling questions! You may be onto something, especially if you consider the timing of the letter... :P


	38. The Door Knocks

Hours passed with Kristoff carefully sifting through the pile of shards. He didn't rush. He didn't want to cut himself, after all. And he knew he had all the time in the world. He'd had to prod at the silvery hill of jagged glass to flatten the pickings, making it easier to identify individual shapes. He also had to remind himself every so often that he was not truly going to complete the mirror—even if it was possible, which it wasn't. But the isolation became a bore, and boredom quickly became an arrowed focus on the only activity available to him.

It felt like a miracle when he slid a sixth shard into place. When he caught himself musing over how it looked like the sixth and fifth were embracing, he realized he may have been focusing _too_ much.

Fortunately, an excuse to take a break manifested when the sixth piece flashed with light. As Kristoff leaned over, he realized he'd been hoping for it: another glimpse of the world outside—even if that glimpse was through the mirror.

The subject in the mirror _this_ time was—Kristoff started—a troll. But it was one he didn't recognize. Kristoff knew all the trolls in the Valley of Living Rock, so he knew the mirror was either showing him the past again or faraway lands. But this troll was wearing the familiar moss cloak lit by green crystals dangling from a vine necklace.

The next thing Kristoff noticed was that the troll in the mirror was sneaking around a human village. He looked to be scoping out the marketplace without being noticed. The troll would dive into fruit barrels, duck under tables and slither behind corners as soon as a villager's head turned. Kristoff actually chuckled. Even though a few people got looks on their faces, as if thinking, _I swear I just saw something there!_ ', the troll evaded every glance. Then the villager would shrug it off and go back to whatever he or she'd been doing.

What could have possessed the troll to infiltrate a human village? Kristoff's own family was very careful about hiding themselves and their valley.

The troll's luck ran out when children spotted him pilfer bread from the baker's window. They yelled and chased him all the way to the forest outside of the village. Here the troll found refuge in a tree. The youngsters did not look up and eventually tired of their search for the odd-looking creature.

The troll waited some time to be sure the children were long gone. When he was fairly certain it was safe, the troll climbed down... and found a few human men waiting on the ground for him. They stepped around from neighboring trees, trapping him in a towering circle before he could get away.

Kristoff bristled with anger as he watched the men stuff the poor troll into a sack. Then they rode on horseback to the edge of the forest, taking the troll in the sack with them to a boggy land crawling with mist and thorny plant life. There the men forgot their "courage", dropped the wriggling sack and rode back into the trees.

At first, the sack rolled left and right on the ground as feet and hands kicked and punched within. Kristoff let out a withheld sigh when the troll finally managed to rip himself free. But the victorious light in his eyes died when he saw where he'd been left. As he turned toward the forest to flee, a great shadow passed over the ground. The troll looked up to see a dragon. His mouth shot open in noiseless terror.

Kristoff could imagine the heat as he watched the dragon breathe fire across the first line of trees.

"Run," Kristoff urged the troll, knowing well enough he could not be heard.

But apparently the troll did not need to be told to run. After only a heartbeat of staring at the slate and scaly predator overhead, the troll dashed into the mists to hide.

The mirror view followed the troll, though Kristoff could not make out the land through the fog any better than the troll could. The more distance the troll put between himself and the forest, the harder it got to see anything. Even the ground was masked by grey haze, and so the troll trod carefully.

Kristoff noticed it before the troll did—a faint twinkling through the mist. The troll looked hopeful as he followed it. Kristoff supposed he would have done the same. A distant light seemed far more appealing than hanging around in the mists with a dragon flying around!

The light guided the troll to the edge of the marshlands. The fog had thinned and the source of the light revealed itself in a grassy patch on the ground.

The troll bent to pick the object up off the ground, obscuring Kristoff's view. But the ice harvester already understood what the light had been.

The hall doors' opening interrupted the show. But Kristoff did catch a final glimpse of the troll examining a mirror shard of his own before Kristoff slid his back into place.

No need for the ice minion to discover his additional activity with the mirror pieces.

She brought him another tray. Seeing that he had been working on the mirror, she nodded her approval. Kristoff wanted to shout at her, but instead he looked down at his next meal. His stomach turned a little as he found himself looking at raw meat.

He didn't comment as the ice minion turned away from him. After all, the meat would sustain him more than berries. He sighed as he sat to eat, reflecting as he looked around the hall.

Ice everywhere. Cold to the bone. But somehow, he had not frozen to death...yet. Rightfully, he should have.

Kristoff looked up at the high windows. It was getting dark.

"Is this where I'm expected to sleep?"

The ice minion had reached the door. She paused when he called out the question. But she merely scoffed and left him without giving an answer.

* * *

"Wait, what?"

Elsa watched Olaf hop down from his perch on the window seat in her bedroom. She had not been able to speak with him until the early evening. There had been much for the queen to do upon her return to the castle: townsfolk to placate, imports to sign off on, construction proposals to hear out and even a birthday present to select for an ambassador's ten year old twin daughters. Olaf had been the perfect listener as Elsa described her meeting with Lady Cathrine. When she'd finished relaying Cathrine's opinion of Lord Harald, the queen had asked Olaf to report his own findings.

"We had breakfast after you left," Olaf repeated a little louder. Poor Elsa was under so much stress that it appeared to be affecting her hearing.

"No, I heard you. I just can't picture you e—," Elsa paused, then shook her head with a half-smile. "—never mind, go on."

"It was kinda fun. We talked about sausage and potatoes!"

He smiled when both of Elsa's eyebrows lifted.

"All right..." Elsa responded. Olaf thought she looked tired. Or maybe she was allergic to sausage and potatoes. "Did you notice anything suspicious?"

Olaf stopped mid-step, an emotion creeping over him that had become more familiar ever since people started trusting him with secrets.

"I think so," he admitted. "But I think _I_ was more suspicious than he was."

"Why?"

"Well, I got really nervous..."

"And?"

"I sort of..."

"Yes?"

"...asked if he missed being the regent."

Elsa paled a little. "How did he react to that?"

Olaf reflected back to the conversation in the dining hall, his memory reaffirming a thought he'd had at that time.

"Honestly, he seemed _more_ alarmed by something his manservant said to him." He met Elsa's waiting gaze and continued. "It was whispered, so I didn't catch it. Whatever it was, Lord Harald was shocked. But then he dismissed it! ...That's suspicious, right?"

The queen's brow furrowed at that. "His manservant... that was that Liam, right?"

Olaf nodded.

"Hmm... well, there's no way of knowing what was said. For now, just keep your eye on both men if they return to the castle."

"Will do!" Olaf exclaimed with a little bow that made Elsa smile.

"Moving onto another topic... I'm sorry I didn't get to ask sooner, but do you have everything you need in your room?"

Olaf had been given his own space in one of the guestrooms. While he didn't appear to _need_ sleep, he said he enjoyed doing it for the dreams. His favorites were of course about hot summer beaches.

When Olaf nodded, the queen followed up with, "Are you happy here?"

"Of course! With you and Gyda and Sofia... Sofia's going to show me how to make _cookies_ tomorrow!"

Elsa giggled. "I'm glad one of us can have fun around here."

"Me too!" He grew a little serious over a sudden thought. "Though I wish Anna, Kristoff and Sven could be here too..."

The queen did not comment, but of course she agreed.

"Are you okay, Elsa?"

She blinked, realized she had just been staring at the floor after Olaf spoke and laughed a little. "I'm just tired."

Olaf waddled up to her and opened his little arms. Warmed by the gesture, Elsa leaned down for a hug.

"Thank you, Olaf."

After the embrace, Elsa gave Olaf an affectionate pat on the head before seeing him out. At the door, Olaf paused and peered up at her.

"Do you think you'd wanna join us tomorrow? To make cookies?"

The invitation was tempting, but there were still the other nobles to visit.

"Another time. I expect tomorrow will be very busy."

Smiling, the snowman nodded. "Another time. Goodnight, Elsa!" He waved as he waddled off toward the guest wing.

Once she was alone, Elsa shut her bedroom door. With a swish of her wrist, she magicked her blue dress into a silvery satin nightgown. Then she sat at her beauty dresser and combed her fingers through her braid. She reached for her sterling hairbrush, but then paused to reinforce her protection charm for Kristoff. It had become a bit of a nightly ritual, her doing this. She wasn't even certain that she needed to, but she did it just in case. It had been three days already since Kristoff left and a week since Anna's disappearance.

 _Anna_...

The meeting with the nobles and all the talk about an engagement had been good—temporarily—for taking Elsa's mind off of her sister's absence. But now the horrible what-ifs seeped past her wall of distraction. Elsa began brushing out her hair, the action meant to self-soothe.

Could the Ice Maiden have frozen Anna? Was that why Elsa couldn't feel her sister's energy the way she felt Kristoff's?

Her hand stilled over the brush in her hair as she stared into the mirror.

"Stop it," she told herself.

The sooner she firmed out her allies at home, the sooner she could worry about Anna and Kristoff. With that in mind, she decided she'd visit Lord Jorn and Lady Linn the next day.

* * *

The princess walked Anna back to her guestroom at the end of the day. Anna's feet were more exhausted from hours of touring the castle than they had been after days of trekking the forest with Hans.

Her face fell when she thought of him.

"I'll ask the servants to bring your dinner here. I doubt you'd want to dine at the king's table."

Anna nodded with a strained smile. Then she thanked Kirsten and bid her a good night's sleep. She waited for the other girl to turn away before entering her room.

In the doorway, her eyes lingered over the door connecting to the other guestroom. Her heart tightened with worry as she thought of her prince out in the forest with Hansel and the king's men.

 _The_ prince, not _her_ prince.

She closed her door behind her and struggled with the irritation building within.

He was arrogant, deceitful, cowardly, fickle and an almost-murderer. She should _not_ miss Hans.

But she did. And it had not even been a full twenty-four hours.

_What would Elsa think?_

The pangs she felt doubled at the thought of her older sister.

"Ugh."

Her feet hurt. Her heart hurt. Being awake hurt. But she wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet, so she took a seat in front of the beauty dresser. She stuck her tongue out in the mirror when she noticed how tired her eyes looked. Then, she looked down.

As a guestroom, the room lacked the mess of personal items one's own room might have. This included the dresser surface. But there were a small stack of blank papers and a quill off to the left.

Anna hesitated. After all, what was the point in writing a letter she couldn't send?

Even so, she found herself pulling a single sheet of paper toward her. She didn't have to think of a message. As soon as she dipped the pen into its ink, the words poured out:

_Dear Elsa,_

_I have so much to tell you. I wish I could explain to you where I am right now, but you'd never believe me. I'll tell you everything when I get back, anyway. Just know that I am safe and will do all I can to get home. I love you._

_Your sister,_

_Anna_

Her hand went still as she recalled the last conversation they'd had. Elsa likely felt as bad about it as she did. All the more reason to find a way home.

Anna looked at the letter again, wistfully reading. If only there was a way for her to let Elsa know she was okay...

A knock at the door startled her. Then she remembered Kirsten had said she'd have dinner sent to her room.

* * *

It felt like she'd _just_ drifted off to sleep when a series of urgent knocks woke Elsa. Blinking back the urge to ignore it and close her eyes again—that was something Anna would do—Elsa sat up and quickly waved a hand over her hair to tame it so she would not look quite so wild when she answered her door.

The knocking started up again just as she reached for the door handle. She answered it to find Gyda and Olaf with the kitchen girl trembling just behind them.

"Elsa, come quick!" Olaf urged her. Without any explanation, he ran back toward the stairs with Gyda following.

"Wait!" Unheeded, Elsa turned her eyes to the girl lingering in the hall. Sofia? The girl looked like she'd just seen a ghost. "What is this about?"

"I was... heating the water to wash the dishes, Your Majesty..."

Sofia held her arms around herself, something Elsa recognized as an anxious gesture; she herself did it sometimes. Pushing wouldn't help, she knew. So she kept quiet even though she was impatient to hear what had frightened the girl. Olaf and Gyda would not have charged ahead like that if the Ice Maiden were attacking again, surely. So, what?

"When I looked up from the stove, I... I swear it wasn't there before. I use the stove all the time, see. I would have noticed."

"What wasn't there before?" Elsa asked, frowning.

"A message. Scratched into the wall."

Puzzled, Elsa asked the girl to show her.

Sofia took a deep breath. Although she still looked frightened, she led the way to Olaf's trail down to the kitchens.

As some of the first to rise in the morning, most of the staff was asleep by that hour. Those that encountered the queen and her guide in the hall quickly bowed and darted out of their path.

Sofia led Elsa through a narrow pantry and into a room where Olaf and Gyda came into view. The two had stopped a noticeable distance away from the stove. Sofia pointed a shaking finger up ahead, seemingly unwilling to get any closer.

Elsa inched closer, squinting at the far stone wall. When she had stepped up beside Olaf, she could read the message. She almost fell over when she _did_ read it.

"What's it say?" Olaf whispered.

"Anna's safe. Love you," Elsa said.

"Awww, I love you t—wait, is _that_ what it says!? Do you think _Anna_ left this?"

The queen sniffled and looked back over her shoulder. "You're certain this just appeared on its own?"

Sofia nodded, looking horrified that the queen might think she made it up. But Elsa smiled over at Gyda and then down at Olaf.

She hadn't the faintest idea what all the commotion would be about. She certainly hadn't expected _this_. But as soon as she touched the message on the wall, somehow she knew. The same way she had been able to sense Kristoff's presence. Now she _could_ feel Anna's.

The only thing troubling her was that it felt more like an echo.

"How is this possible? She must have come through here," Elsa murmured. "You're sure you didn't see anyone else in here with you?"

"I was here," Olaf spoke up. "Mopping the floors." He pointed to a bucket of murky water and an abandoned mop on the floor.

Elsa nodded, looking at the message once again. Why would Anna have left a message instead of coming to tell Elsa herself she was here...?

She _had_ been here, hadn't she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, Olaf can't read or spell, lol.
> 
> Also, I made a playlist of all the music I listen to as I'm writing this story. :D A lot of it is stuff that's on the radio... I do a lot of brainstorming on my morning/evening commute, so that's why. Some of it is old, most of it is pretty and a few things are just regionally or lyrically appropriate. Feel free to check it out: tinyurl.com/zrb5jqd 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	39. A New Reflection

The mirror showed her many things, and not always what she asked to see. One day, not long after she abandoned the sea witch in the frozen pit, the Ice Maiden discovered the location of another shard.

From the moment it came into her possession, she'd suspected there were others. She decided there had to be after the first time she studied its crooked edges.

The sea witch may have been content to bolster her powers with just _one_ fragment. But look where that left her.

A ship tossed and creaked on roaring water hundreds of miles south from the castle she'd "built" for herself. She flew to it, led by the eager hums of her own mirror shard. It made no actual sound, but she could feel its faint vibrations; the closer she got, the stronger the hums.

Rowing warriors shouted in alarm as they watched her descent.

"Valkyrja!" one cried.

"Seiðkona!" another exclaimed, securing his horned helmet as a rough wave battered the ship's keel up out of the water. The ship slammed back down, distracting the men as the Ice Maiden made a graceful landing on the curled stempost. When they turned their eyes back on her, most either picked up their oar or drew a sword.

The Ice Maiden brought the heel of her open palm to her lips and blew, turning her head and hand to direct a blast of bitterly cold air at the men. The warriors all turned to ice, their guttural screams cut short by the transformation. Only one man at the other end of the ship was left untouched.

She closed her fist lightly around her mirror shard, mutely jumping down onto the deck. The ship still rocked unsteadily, but her balance did not falter.

As she stepped through the rows of frozen vikings, the last man stepped up to meet her. He stopped a few feet away from her and spat.

"Go on. Freeze me too."

But she knew better. Something had protected him from her attack.

The Ice Maiden studied him from his dark hair whipping across his shoulders in the harsh winds to his fierce amber gaze; then she glanced from the battle axe clutched in his right hand to his iron helmet. All the while, the mirror fragment beat in her closed hand like an excited heart.

He challenged her even after seeing his crew's fate; that meant he was arrogant.

"I've been looking for someone worthy," she told him. She could see the immediate effect, the wheels of his male mind turning at the implied compliment. It was too easy.

But the viking was not a complete fool. Although his grip on the axe relaxed, he scoffed.

"To what end?"

"I rule a kingdom in the north," she answered. When she saw interest flicker in his eyes, she knew she had him. "Every lady needs someone to rule beside her."

She took a step forward, testing the waters. When she saw he did not flinch, she took another step. Then another as he removed his helmet. Something dark and earthly settled over the warrior's face.

He _wanted_ her.

...she could use that.

"What kingdom?" he asked.

That made her pause as she was still unfamiliar with most human kingdoms.

"Kaldrheim," she answered, making up the name.

The man still looked interested, but he had put his guard up.

"I've never heard of such a place," he said.

The Ice Maiden held out her slender hand, the other still holding the mirror shard. "I could take you there," she half-whispered. She watched the hairs on his arms stand up in response to the invitation.

She had not had such an effect on a man since her fisherman. It was not exactly fun. She didn't enjoy anything anymore.

But it did make her feel powerful.

His warm and grubby hand suddenly grabbed hers and pulled her against him. The battle axe and helmet clattered onto the deck as he rested his hands on the Ice Maiden's waist.

"First, I'll take you here."

His statement was not an offer.

She kept her face blank as his hands wandered down her dress. Then, taking his face into her hands, she leaned up and kissed his lips.

His mouth tasted like rot. But as soon as she pulled away, she watched her magic at work.

"Let go of me," she commanded. It was a relief when he dropped his hands.

She took one step back and looked him over.

"Something protected you from my ice."

The viking said nothing, though he did glance down at his helmet. The Ice Maiden picked it up, aware of the viking's twitching hands. Ignoring him for the moment, she turned the helmet over.

At first glance, it was just plain iron. But then she noticed the studs along the line that ran from the front to back. One of them was flat and shinier than the rest of the helmet.

She looked up in time to catch the viking reaching toward her. He stopped his hand when she looked at him. Various uncontrolled emotions passed over his features: anger, fear and lastly, longing.

One kiss wasn't a strong enough hold over him, she realized.

"You want this?" she asked, moving the helmet toward him as though in offering only to pull it back when he went to accept it. Again, she saw his anger. But it melted into something else the longer he stared at her. Now was her chance.

She closed the space between them and gently gave him a second kiss. As she moved to break contact, she felt his hand on her back; it was light but insistent.

Repulsed, she tore free and slapped him.

"There is a mirror fragment embedded in this helmet. Remove it for me."

Without a word or any facial reaction this time, the viking held his hands out. The Ice Maiden passed the helmet over and watched for the next hour, unmoved, as the viking used his bare hands to pry the tiny mirror shard out of his helmet. He bloodied his fingers and nails in the process, but the second kiss seemed to block out the pain. When his work was complete, the viking shakily handed the small mirror over.

The Ice Maiden grimaced at the blood on it. But at least she'd found it.

When she turned to leave, the viking objected.

"You'll take me with you?"

He whined like a snivelling child.

"Someone has to sail the ship," she said. She gestured toward the other vikings, now ice statues.

The viking gaped at the other men as though he'd forgotten all about them.

"I can't sail this by myself."

The Ice Maiden considered that.

"You said you'd take me to your land."

She gave him a blank stare. "I'm afraid I can't."

His face contorted with confusion. "Can't... or won't?"

Tired of the act, she moved to get away from him. Later, she would tell herself to be more careful, or at least not to underestimate the power of that damn kiss.

The viking charged at her, tackling her to the deck. Momentarily stunned by hitting her head on one of the thwarts, she was not able to shove the man off of her before he closed in for another kiss. She was prepared to shoot him off of her with a blast of her magic. But she didn't need to.

The moment his lips touched hers, he yelped and broke away from her as if he'd kissed fire... or ice.

The viking backed away in horror, watching his boots freeze over. Then he lifted his fingertips as frost encased his hands and quickly turned to ice. The ice traveled inward and upward, crawling up his legs and arms, then onward to his neck. With the realization of what was happening to him, the viking reached for the Ice Maiden, shouting his last battle cry before he became the final ice statue on board.

In the sudden quiet, the Ice Maiden righted herself and stared down at her two mirror fragments. She looked around at the man and his comrades. Then with a blast of her magic, she shattered each statue into frosty dust and sent it all glittering out to sea.

* * *

Twelve years passed and the Ice Maiden's collection grew. The fragment carriers were not always aware of the powerful mirror pieces in their possession. There was one prosperous farmer who lamented to find his crops barren after the mysterious ice woman's visit. Unbeknownst to him, a piece of the mirror had lain buried in one of his fields for centuries.

Then there were some like the viking she'd first encountered: a shaman who'd challenged her, a monk who was convinced his shard was a gift from God and even a midwife. She took mirrors from thieves, from explorers and kings, from other magical creatures and hidden or forgotten places. Any who tried to stop her were frozen the moment they interfered.

When she wasn't hunting for mirror shards, the Ice Maiden experimented with her power. She sent blizzards rolling across deserts, flew across every sea, spying creatures and kingdoms beyond her wildest imagination. But all that time, none of it moved her. She was conscious of this—the side-effect of a frozen heart. At times she wondered if it would always be that way.

She tried testing it once every couple of years, no more than that. She would will the mirror to show her fisherman's happiest day. Each time was the same: the day Mattheus first met Nissa.

It was odd to watch the scene from outside of herself. She'd gone to the surface for the first time on her sixteenth birthday. There'd been a cove her sisters had told her about—supposedly very secluded and one of the safest places for her to explore without being seen by land-dwellers.

Alas, a lone fisherman had spotted her there that day. Frightened, she had made to swim away when the man begged for her to stay a while. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful and he wanted only to talk if she'd oblige him.

He'd told her about his home and answered all her questions about living out of the sea. In turn, she mystified him with tales from the ocean—from her father's kingdom to the notorious sea witch, then from treasure hidden in sunken ships to her cruel siren cousins. The talking relaxed them and they became fast friends, agreeing to meet in the same place a week later.

The scene did not bring comfort to the Ice Maiden. But she was drawn by its predictability and perhaps by the ghost of her former self.

One day, she willed the mirror once again to share her lover's happiest day. Something new was revealed to her. The man in the new scene was clearly the same Mattheus—she would never forget his auburn hair and silver eyes.

But he looked older. His face held laugh lines and shadows under his eyes. In one arm, he held a stranger and pat a child's sleeping head with his other hand. The stranger—a dark-haired woman—clung to Mattheus, tears streaming down her smiling face as Mattheus first kissed her forehead, then her chin and all over her face. He rested a gentle hand on the woman's stomach.

All at once, the Ice Maiden understood.

At the same time, she did not understand.

Mattheus was dead. He had loved her so much that he'd thrown himself off of a cliff, thinking he'd lost her. She too had killed herself in a way, thinking herself responsible for his death. Yet according to the mirror, he was very much alive and happy without her.

Although the revelation was a shock, the Ice Maiden knew one thing about the mirror.

It never lied.

* * *

_His children and his children's children will know what I've suffered... for him._

The thought was so loud that Anna's eyes fluttered open. She sat up, disoriented as she looked about the dark guestroom.

She'd dreamt of Nissa again. No, not Nissa; it was the Ice Maiden now.

Even acknowledging that, Anna still felt herself thinking of the Ice Maiden as Nissa. Maybe it was because she'd had so many dreams from Nissa's point of view and had actually felt Nissa's thoughts.

While the Ice Maiden's heart was too cold to feel sadness, her pride had been seriously injured. She'd felt like a fool for numbing her heart. So, she'd cursed Mattheus's family line. The dream had not gone that far, but Anna knew from Nissa's determination. She'd spared Mattheus and the boy. In a way, she'd even spared the wife. But they'd all eventually suffered through the curse placed upon the unborn baby.

Anna rubbed her temples as she struggled to separate her waking thoughts from those in the dream. Did Nissa's curse have something to do with Elsa?

_Is that why I keep having these dreams?_

But Mattheus was a fisherman, not a king.

"I suppose... going far back enough, it's possible..."

She brought her legs up, wrapping her arms around them as she rested her chin on one knee. At first, she had thought the dreams were related just by chance—a peculiar story in her subconscious mind. But after a while, she'd had to accept that there had been too many dreams for it to be coincidence.

She thought of Elsa for a moment, wondering if her older sister had seen the message she'd left for her in the kitchens. After dinner had been brought to her, she'd sneaked down to the kitchens, carefully following the servant who had brought her evening meal. Once there, she'd found a hiding spot to linger in until all the serving staff had gone to sleep. At first, she had thought to leave her written letter somewhere in her room. But knowing the slim chances of its being left untouched and undamaged for Elsa to find so many years later, she'd had to improvise.

The game with Hans was what had inspired her. And so, by the dim light of a candle, she had used her cloak clasp to scratch a brief note on the stone wall next to the stove. With luck, the message would be left there for her sister to find in 1839. If the kitchen staff told the king about it, she would just make up an excuse. Sleepwalking. Homesickness. Cabin fever—or would it be castle fever?

The point was that there was now at least a chance that Elsa knew she was all right. It made it easier for Anna to fall asleep that night.

If only she hadn't had that dream.

Anna frowned. So much for getting her mind off of it. She leaned back in her bed, a new thought occurring to her after thinking about Elsa.

Was the dreaming perhaps some sort of power that had been dormant within Anna until now?

It didn't feel like power though; the dreams were more like reflections.

* * *

The hall door swinging open caused Kristoff to jump. He rubbed his heavy eyelids, thinking wistfully of his interrupted nap.

"Follow."

The command came from the Ice Maiden in the doorway. Kristoff scrambled up to his feet, not needing to be told twice. He could not _wait_ to get out of the hall.

The Ice Maiden lit their path with her silvery magic, guiding Kristoff back out into the dark entrance hall to a narrow corridor on the right. They passed three closed doors before she stopped in front of another. The door creaked open with a wave of her hand.

Without getting too close to his captor, Kristoff peered over her shoulder into the room beyond. It appeared to be a bedroom. His heart leapt at the sight of a fireplace. He dared to hope he would be able to use it.

The Ice Maiden stepped aside so he could enter the room. Once inside, he glanced back at her, his gaze following hers to a matchbox sitting on a lone chair.

"If I see fire outside of this room, I will see that you starve to death."

Kristoff gulped and nodded to show he understood. He didn't quite trust himself to speak.

Without another word, the Ice Maiden left him.

Alive but uncomfortable, Kristoff made his way to the chair and struck one of the matches to start a fire. Then he took a seat and—once the fire had grown enough—held his hands up to warm them. He relished in the light of the flames.

Once again it occurred to him that he had not even gotten frostbite. Had the Ice Maiden done something to ensure he could keep working on the mirror? He may not have frozen to death, but the mirror hall had been uncomfortably frigid. It was easier to think now that he was in a smaller room where he could warm up.

The Ice Maiden, for whatever reason, seemed unwilling to deal with the mirror shards herself. She also had some connection to Hans.

"Hans couldn't be here... or she'd have _him_ put the mirror together. Unless she has other plans for him?"

He made a face as he remembered the pair's kiss.

"Even if he's here, it might be by choice," he thought aloud. "So I'm on my own."

Save for Sven, of course. Somewhere in the castle, the Ice Maiden was supposedly keeping his friend.

Kristoff glanced at the open door with a raised eyebrow. Since he was no longer confined to one room, it seemed that he would be able to do a little exploring.

The Ice Maiden had only said she better not see fire outside of his room. She hadn't said anything about _him_ being outside of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Firstly, thank you for reading!
> 
> Welp, that's one mystery solved (Elsa's powers). Now if only Anna knew why she keeps having weird dreams! ...I did give a hint in there somewhere. I realize there was a lot of info and backstory in this chapter. Trying to emphasize that Anna's dreams have become much more vivid.
> 
> You're probably wondering about Hans. He'll pop up again in the next chapter. Thank you for your patience. :)


	40. The Sleeping Worries

The night had passed Anna by and she'd gotten, at most, a few hours of sleep. She tried to fall back asleep after the last dream. Normally it was no challenge for her to doze off into deep slumber from which even the most persistent of servants had trouble waking her.

She blamed her restlessness on the dreams. They made her wonder.

As a child, whenever she'd had nightmares, her father suggested that it came from her subconscious mind; he called them "sleeping worries". But could that apply to odd dreams as well?

More likely, the king had just been trying to get his daughter to face her fears so she could go back to sleep.

Anna clacked her feet together under the covers, staring through the window at the glowing dawn as she sorted through her thoughts. There was plenty bothering her that she was conscious of. Was there anything less obvious?

She could...although she was uncomfortable admitting it, she could relate to the Ice Maiden in the disappointment of first love. But she hadn't placed a curse on Hans or anything. She didn't have the power to—not that she _would_ even if she could.

She kicked her blankets off and dangled her legs over the bedside, her hands clenching into fists. That cursed Hans just kept slithering back into her thoughts. For all she knew, he was out there leading slaughter upon the trolls while _she_ sat pondering over peculiar dreams.

Her shoulders sank as she sighed.

No. She knew better. Hans, he...

He wasn't one for mindless slaughter. He acted with purpose, always. To wage war on the trolls would invite a counterattack upon Arendelle. Whatever else he'd done, Hans did seem to care about the kingdom.

_He cared so much, he tried to steal it._

She gasped at a sudden thought. She pictured Hans and the king's men surrounded by the Stallos. Suddenly, the Hans of her imagination turned his sword on Hansel, smirking and making some undoubtedly cocky speech about how he'd planned to betray the king's men all along. Then he would lead the Stallos stomping and roaring with the trees off their backs as weapons against Arendelle. That way, _he_ could take the throne from King Olaf.

Anna shook her head. Not a chance! According to what she'd heard, Volco would never work with a human.

"No way," she assured herself.

She looked around her room, but all she could see were Hans's green eyes.

She wished now that she hadn't gotten so blubbery when they were first put in the dungeons. Then she might have seen his face when he'd comforted her. That _is_ what he'd done, wasn't it? She wrinkled her forehead, trying to relive a particular conversation. Had she told him she wouldn't leave without him?

She laughed bitterly over the fact that Hans had been the one to leave, not her.

In a sudden burst of agitation, Anna sprung off of her bed and stretched out the last of her morning grogginess.

"That's enough, Anna," she warned herself. "Time to spend more...time doing something productive.'

Preferably something to distract her from thinking about a certain scheming redheaded enigma.

Anna sighed through closed lips, making an unflattering noise as she mulled over what to do next. Then she went to the wardrobe where she had stuffed the lady's dresses given to her by one of the servants.

_Thanks to Hans's fib about me losing my luggage._

Anna scowled. Now it was just getting ridiculous. Did the prince have to turn up in _every_ single thought of hers?!

She examined the fabrics within, quickly sliding the wooden hangers to the right. Each dress was uglier than the next, reminding her of fashions favored by women like Lady Cathrine. Worse, even!

But she had offered up her traveling dress for washing. It'd started smelling funny after her swim in the river beneath the troll caves.

Anna felt her cheeks flare up at the memory of sleeping with Hans—sleeping _beside_ him, wrapped up in him, but strictly sleeping.

Borderline furious with herself, Anna picked the ugliest dress available. She spent the next five minutes figuring out how to manage the panier. Once she got the dress on, she was certain her skirt looked crooked or made her posterior look ridiculous. She stood in front of the tall mirror, turning from side to side to try to persuade herself that it wasn't that bad.

The dress was an emerald damask brocade with lace trimmings. The shape was hideous, but Anna admired the color. It was just a shade darker than—

 _Don't even think about it_.

She re-focused on her reflection once more, trying to tame her hair. When she finally got it to stop sticking up and sideways, she wove two front sections into lose braids and pinned them to the rest of her hair in a bun. It was very out of fashion for the times, but she wasn't about to borrow a wig or powder.

Before she left the room, she glanced over her shoulder. That mirror... it had shown her something strange once. She'd forgotten all about the monstrous eyes that had stared back at her from it.

She shrugged it off for now. She could just have been exhausted at the time, after all.

A servant greeted her in passing out in the guest wing. Anna smiled and waved.

Where to go now? She couldn't leave. But she couldn't just sit back and hope that an answer for returning home would fall into her lap. Grand Pabbie, Bulda and Cliff had sent her through time by the power of that odd mirror fragment.

Anna stopped in place.

The mirror fragment! Was it like the ones the Ice Maiden collected in her dreams? Would Anna be able to go home if she herself found such an object?

But she wouldn't know where to look for one. There was no telling if the Ice Maiden was still alive. Even if she was, she did not seem likely to part with something that powerful.

Anna thought of Mattheus next. What became of him after the curse placed on his unborn child? Did he go after Nissa to try and make her reverse the curse?

If that were the case, he obviously didn't succeed.

She dashed the rest of the way to the library, eager to find answers. Even if she didn't know what to look for, there had to be something there. The doors came into sight when she turned out of the guest wing. She grew excited, now moving with purpose. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? She could look at books on folklore and genealogy. There had to be _something_.

Anna threw the library door open, freezing when she heard a surprised squawk. Kirsten sat staring at Anna from the sofa with an open book in her lap.

"Anna!"

"Your Highness... sorry if I scared you."

"Were you looking for me?" Kirsten asked.

"Y-yeah!"

Anna glanced down guiltily. She wouldn't be able to explain why she wanted to see the family tree. She looked sideways, spotting snowfall outside.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

Kirsten frowned in confusion. "A snowman?"

* * *

Kristoff woke up on his side in a stiff bed. He sat up, momentarily confused by his grisly surroundings. Then, scratching his head and permitting himself to yawn, he recalled that the Ice Maiden had led him to his own room. His eyes wandered over to the fireplace where the lively flames had calmed to dim embers and charred logs.

The lone window was completely blocked by snow on the outside, but it still managed to let a little light in. It was hard to tell the time of day from that, however.

As he climbed out of bed, Kristoff's bones creaked in protest. His neck ached too, but there were bigger things to worry about.

He went to the open doorway, counting himself lucky that one of the ice minions hadn't paid him a visit while he slept—not that he was in any danger so long as the Ice Maiden believed he was working on her mirror.

He stuck his head out into the hall, glancing left and then right. No one was in sight. He knew there had to be at least a dozen ice minions lurking around the fortress halls _somewhere_. But for now, with the coast clear, he left his room.

He turned right as he knew that would lead him away from the entrance hall, where he would've been certain to encounter one of the Ice Maiden's creatures. The doors on both sides of him were identical to his own. Perhaps they were all "guest rooms".

Gripped by the sudden hope that he might not be the sole prisoner at the ice fortress, Kristoff knocked on one of the closed doors. He waited ten seconds for someone to open the door. Then he waited another five. Even a knock from the other side, should the person be locked in, would be a comfort. Quickly, he ran up to each door, knocking a few times before he moved on to the next. Then he waited and listened, standing still as a statue in the center of the hall.

His heart sank when no one answered. But before he could dwell too long over the certainty that he _was_ alone, he pressed on.

The end of the hall bent to the right into a similar corridor of closed doors. Although he didn't let his hopes get up this time, he knocked on each one as he passed. But the only sounds between his attempts were his own footsteps.

Halfway down the corridor, a dark space on the left caught his eye and he turned his head, pausing.

 _That's different_ , he thought. Instead of the single doors he had seen thus far, he was staring at an arched pair of wooden double doors set in the back of an alcove. Whatever was on the other side of the doors could be no mere guest room.

Kristoff stepped into the alcove in spite of the likelihood that these doors were also locked. It was only then that he noticed the doors had wrought iron ring pull handles. He reached for one, scowling to find that it was frozen stuck to the door by a layer of ice.

"Well, that's one way to keep people out," Kristoff muttered, drawing his fingertips over the ring covered in ice.

Then, an idea struck him. He peeked out of the alcove to make sure the coast was clear before he made a mad dash back to his room. There he began a desperate search—for what, he wasn't sure yet. He'd know when he found it: something to help him open those double doors. First he tried under the bed, finding nothing. Next he did a rushed search through the dresser, pulling each drawer to find them all empty.

Something important was being kept in that room, if it was a room. Maybe it was another hall or exit, or a hall leading to the exit!

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh as he tried to think if there was anything he could use already out in the open. When his gaze passed over the glowing embers, Kristoff nearly tripped over himself as he jumped toward the fireplace. He knelt and automatically reached in for one of the smaller logs, stopping himself just in time with a question. First he poked at the log. He hissed and pulled his hand back as the hot log crackled and glowed in response.

Of _course._ He was in a hurry, but the embers were still too hot! How long before someone passed through either hall? Either he'd be caught out of his room or caught trying to break into an area that was clearly off-limits.

Kristoff looked down at his summer clothes.

_Not wool, no good._

His socks were wool, but not quite large enough. He glanced over his shoulder at the bed he'd slept in. He was too tired earlier to take notice, so now he stood and lifted away the layers of pelts on the mattress. He had hoped to find a woolen blanket beneath, thinking to wrap it around one of the logs so he could carry it to the doors and melt off the ice blocking the handles. He made no such discovery, though.

Now running out of ideas, Kristoff sat down on the bed and grumbled to himself. The situation finally seemed hopeless. What had he been thinking, searching for the Ice Maiden by himself? It was a wonder he was still alive! Who was _he_? He didn't have magic like Elsa; nor did he have Anna's dumb luck. The best he could come up with was getting captured—twice _—_ and poking at fire.

Poking at...fire.

Kristoff paused.

Then he suddenly shot up off of the bed and gawked at the fireplace, daring to check next to it.

Sure enough, dangling from two nails in the wall to the left of the fireplace were the very tools he was hoping for. Not only had his hostess left him with a fire iron. There were tongs hanging just next to the iron!

Although Kristoff mentally kicked himself for not having noticed sooner, he wasted no time. Instead, he grabbed the tools, carefully picking up a brightly burning ember before he hurried back out into the hall. He only glanced behind him as an afterthought. Luckily, none of the ice minions were in sight as he dashed down toward the connecting corridor.

Almost as soon as he'd stepped out of the room, Kristoff knew he was in a race against time. Not only did he need to worry about being spotted, but the ember started fading in the frigid air of the open halls. Nevertheless, he sprinted around the corner and charged full-speed toward the alcove. Once, he nearly dropped the ember. Luckily, he was quick enough to catch it with the tongs.

He relaxed once he was out of sight after stepping into the alcove. Then he remembered the cooling ember and whirled towards the door handles. Careful not to hold the ember too close to bare wood, Kristoff ran it across the sheet of ice.

He grinned as steam curled up from the ice. He repeated the motion, listening as the ember hissed and spat. Kristoff glanced down, watching a puddle form at the base of the doors as the ice melted and dripped.

But after a moment, the ember went silent. Kristoff lifted the tongs to check, confirming that the ember had died. Despite himself, he brought his fingertips up to double check. It was cold to the touch, but that was all right. He almost dropped the now useless ember, but thought better of it and stuffed it into his pants pocket instead. It wouldn't do to have the Ice Maiden or her creatures stumble upon it.

Next, he took the fire iron and cracked through the last of the ice, watching it fall to the floor. At last, he freed the door handles. He peeked back into the hall, checking both directions one last time before he dared pull the doors open. Inside was a room about ten times the size of his bedroom but still smaller than the mirror hall. Kristoff shrank back in a panic, staring at a crowd within.

 _...a crowd of ice sculptures_ , he realized when there was no outcry over his sudden intrusion.

Kristoff swallowed and paused at the entrance even though none before him could react to his presence. It took him a moment to find his courage before he ventured in.

The random placement of each statue made it difficult to count. But he supposed there had to be several dozen frozen still all around him.

Each one held a different story. The statues were made up of men, women, children and other creatures. The Ice Maiden did not appear to discriminate. Kristoff thought he even spotted a half-man, half-horse in a far corner.

Was Sven in this room somewhere?

He glanced up toward the source that was lighting the room and found chandeliers glinting from the ceiling like magnificent snowflakes. They were lit by orbs of shimmering silver rather than golden flames.

He thought for a moment over how it was possible for the Ice Maiden to wield such magic without being present. It'd be a question for Grand Pabbie if he ever made it home.

_Of course I will._

But he wasn't so sure...

He stepped on something and yelped in surprise. He covered his mouth and glanced all over the room as his echo bounced off each wall. He stilled his breathing and looked down, expecting to find something unpleasant.

Instead, he had literally stumbled upon a familiar pair of red boots.

* * *

"Your Majesty?"

Elsa looked up to find Lord Jorn staring at her with some concern. He sat forward, his dark eyes sharp and alert.

They were seated in mahogany chairs with ornately carved backs at a small table in Lord Jorn's private study. The room was darker than the rest of the bright windowed household. Jorn kept the thick brown curtains on the windows here closed in order to protect his many books.

Elsa appreciated that now. It had grown too hot for her liking out under the midday sun.

"Yes. Excuse me, I was thinking."

He looked expectant, but she didn't want to tell him that her visit with Lady Linn that morning had gone poorly. The lady herself was all smiles and reverence when she welcomed the queen's surprise visit. Elsa had even felt a little hope at first. But as soon as she broached the topic of loyalties and inappropriate ideas from certain nobles—not _her_ , of course—Lady Linn had grown visibly uncomfortable before shutting down altogether.

"My husband can follow all these politics. I'm sure I know nothing about what's good for Arendelle." The message was subtle, but it was there all right. She may as well have excused herself for not having a mind of her own. The conversation quickly dwindled to how lovely the palace had looked at the coronation.

Things only got more awkward when Lord Martin joined them. Lady Linn instantly quieted, refraining from speech unless spoken to.

In the end, Elsa found herself having to mask her visit as a gesture of appreciation for their council. Then, feeling unsure and unsuccessful, she had taken her leave.

"I understand you don't want to rush an engagement," Lord Jorn suddenly said.

Elsa blinked several times. Is that what he thought was—?

_Come to think of it, he had been on board with that idea. Perhaps now he sees it was an impetuous suggestion._

"I don't feel that now is the time to consider it," Elsa replied. "With my sister gone, with Prince Hans missing too—I don't want such distractions when considering something of equal importance."

Lord Jorn nodded his head and murmured his sympathies.

"It's not necessarily a poor suggestion," she added. She was the queen. Of _course_ they expected her to wed and make heirs. "But the timing—"

"I understand, Your Majesty."

She knew it to be true when he smiled. Although he was old enough to be her grandfather, there was something about the old noble that reminded her of her late father. He was even a little bit like Kai. Perhaps that why she felt so at ease.

"But I know I... don't want to marry Lord Harald."

Lord Jorn chuckled. "Is he too old for you?" He dropped the smile when Elsa looked at him.

"I'm prepared to make a political match when the time comes. But I won't marry that man."

The noble looked a little startled by her proclamation. Truth be told, she surprised herself a little.

Jorn looked like he was considering his next words. He muttered something and leaned back in his chair, studying the young woman in front of him. When at last he reached some inward conclusion, he spoke.

"So it's not that you have someone else in mind?"

"W-what?"

"I mean no insult. I'm merely asking."

Elsa averted his crow-like gaze and looked instead at the wall-length bookshelves. She recalled the urge to leaf through those books long ago. It had been when she was just a girl accompanying her parents to give their condolences for the passing of Lord Jorn's wife.

"Have _you_ ever heard of the Ice Maiden?" she asked.

Lord Jorn looked taken aback by the turn of topics.

"You mean the creature you told us about at the meeting?"

Elsa hesitated.

"Do you also think she's just a fairytale?" she asked, recalling Lord Stein's disbelief.

She feared the worst when Lord Jorn cleared his throat. He looked thoughtful.

"I don't discount anything these days," he answered with a smile. "Not with our own Snow Queen of Arendelle. But... no, I've never heard of the Ice Maiden. Although—well, probably not."

The queen raised her eyebrow. Lord Jorn looked up at her and half-scowled at himself as if he had drawn her attention to nothing.

"Not me. My great-aunt—oh, but I was very young and we children used to think she was demented."

Elsa said nothing as she waited for the old gentleman to make up his mind about telling her.

"She used to talk about an attack on a palace ball she attended when she was still unmarried," he explained.

"An attack?"

"Broken windows, chandeliers snuffed out, screaming ladies. No one's around now who would remember. Even Lord Albin's not _that_ old." He laughed at his little joke about the other noble.

"What was it...? Unhappy rebels? Another kingdom?"

At that, Lord Jorn shrugged. "She wouldn't say... and there's nothing in the Arendelle archives about it. Perhaps just an accident that she perceived as something more?"

"What happened? Was anyone hurt?"

"I'm sorry, she didn't say," he answered. "She'd only repeat how cold it was, over and over. I just assumed it was winter!"

Elsa frowned. Well, maybe it _had_ been winter.

"But she used to talk about trolls too," Lord Jorn added, looking off into the empty space of the room. "They were all very superstitious back then." He chuckled to himself.

 _Oh, if he only knew_ , Elsa thought as she laughed along with him.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Your Majesty? My grandson and his family will be here this afternoon. His girls _love_ ice skating, you know."

Elsa brightened at the opportunity to get to know more of her subjects. She could use some fun for a change!

"I would love to! Oh, but... won't I be a burden in the meantime?"

"Nonsense!" He grinned. "I saw you eyeing my collection here. I have a little work to see to before the mob arrives. Please, help yourself." He gestured toward the walls of books.

Elsa's enthusiasm must have burned through her usual composure, for Lord Jorn chuckled again.

"I suspect my guests will be here within the next couple of hours. I'm sure my granddaughters would love to show you the entire estate."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Elsa said.

Lord Jorn bowed before excusing himself, leaving Elsa wide-eyed. She was sure many of the books would be duplicates of titles in her own library. But she could already spot a few unfamiliar book spines.

She could hardly remember the last time she let herself relax like this. Lord Jorn must have sensed that she needed it.

* * *

Now Volco could tell the other trolls he'd told them so; the humans could not be trusted.

_It's us or them._

Ametha was the first one to catch the first whiff of the king's men. Attuned to the forest through her earth crystal, she had sensed them creeping up from the southern border. Not that there was an actual border. It was more of an invisible line mutually uncrossed, except for the intended attack on the lumber cabin.

Rage splintered through Volco as he recalled the incident. The humans started it by destroying the trees. Every day, they pushed their evil saws just a little farther north. Volco had no doubt that the foul creatures would obliterate the entire forest unless someone stopped them.

Then, they _dared_ to invade his valley. It didn't matter that he never saw them; he had smelled their stink all the way from the empty cabin to the valley. And if that bumbling Pabbie had not delayed him, he would have caught them. He could only hope they drowned or froze in the stream beneath the caves.

 _Pabbie_...

Volco couldn't prove it, but he was sure that Pabbie had been to the lumber cabin that day. The very idea that one of his own may have brought _humans_ to the valley was enough to—

His vision flickered red and grey as the savage thoughts took hold again. He braced himself against the nearest spruce, feeling its needles brush his face as he buckled over in the effort to maintain control. It was getting harder these days, thanks to Arendelle.

But he couldn't lose control all the time. Eventually, it would just frighten the other trolls. As much as he'd like to make Pabbie admit his involvement with the humans, the other trolls _liked_ Pabbie.

Of course, if they were to talk in private...

He heard a low whistle—Saph's signal. Volco stared down through the trees and spotted the humans. Fury threatened to take hold again. This time he let it.

He gurgled and growled as the transformation took over, his skin stretching to fit the snapping muscles, tendons and bones as they grew to monstrous proportions. White hair grew atop his head as trees sprung up out of his back. He ripped through the trees, leading the others to the band of screaming humans. Then, the slaughter began.

What a reward it was to pick them up by their fragile heads and fling them against the very trees they loved to cut down. He was somewhat aware that he was the only one going this far. The others just swatted swords and axes away as the humans tried to defend themselves. There were about thirty of them, half of whom fled through the trees when they saw what they were up against.

An arrow pricked Volco's cheek, making him laugh. The noise shook both the surrounding trees and the ground beneath them all. How maddeningly foolish! Did they really think they could take him down this way?

He flicked the archer, watching him fly over the heads of the other soldiers. Then he ripped a branch off one of the trees on his shoulder and play-dueled with one man. The shouts and roars all around him were like music to his ears as he let the human parry a few of his attacks. Finally, when he grew bored, he swung the branch over the little man's head and watched him sink into an unconscious mass in the snow.

"Volco!"

He turned his head, eyeing Saph with a man in each of his fists. The men struggled to climb out of the troll's grasp, but to no avail.

"What are you waiting for?" Volco asked. Then he stopped and sniffed the air, a certain scent tickling his nose. It was... familiar. "You!"

He stomped forward, addressing the redhaired human in Saph's right hand.

"It was you in the caves."

The man gazed at Volco with piercing green eyes. But he gave away nothing.

"If you were smart, you'd keep us for bargaining," the man said.

Volco snorted. "I don't bargain with humans." But he thought of Pabbie, suddenly seeing an opportunity.

"Take them back to the valley," he ordered.

"What—?! Are you—"

Volco roared in Saph's face, the wind from it blowing the other troll's bristly hair up.

"Have _Pabbie_ kill them. And tell him that if he doesn't, I'll do away with them myself... and him with them."

Saph stared open-mouthed as Volco strode off in pursuit of the men who ran away.

* * *

Anna shuddered and almost retched when she woke. She gripped the armrests of her chair, her eyes darting all over the room until she remembered. She and Kirsten had returned to the library after playing out in the snow. She'd dozed off in a chair by the fire, content and warm, only to fall into a dark and violent nightmare.

"What is it?" Kirsten asked, seeing the other girl was awake.

Anna jumped out of her chair and ran to the princess, grabbing her by the shoulders as it dawned on her how little time they had. But at first, she wasn't sure how to phrase it in a way Kirsten could believe. The princess knew nothing of Anna's strange dreams. Even so, she had to try.

"It's Hans... and all the men he and Hansel took to find the trolls. They're in danger!"

Kirsten gently freed herself to return a book to its shelf. Then she gave Anna a wary look.

"But of course they are. The trolls, or at least the one you said, hate humans."

Anna shook her head. "No. I mean, they already lost. They have Hans and Hansel now. We have to _do_ something."

"How do you know this?"

Anna bit her lip.

"I can't explain right now. I just need you to believe me. Please, we have to help them."

"I—I do believe you, but my father..."

"If we don't leave now, it will be too late. With your magic, we might be able to get there in time before..."

Anna didn't have to finish her thought. Kirsten could see the start of her tears.

"Okay. But _where_ are we going?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	41. A Brave Rescue

"This... is... _amaaaaazing!"_

The reindeer lifted them higher and higher, leaving the castle tiny beneath them.

Well, it wasn't a reindeer exactly. It looked like one, but it wasn't warm and furry like good old Sven. This reindeer was as cold and quiet as snow, which only made sense, seeing as how Kirsten had crafted him—it—whatever, from snow.

Kirsten stretched one arm out in the air and giggled like a girl at a festival. If not for the danger, or if her teeth weren't chattering in the lofty wind, Anna might have been even more excited than Kirsten. But at present, Anna clung to the other princess for dear life, not daring to look down at the ground for more than a few seconds at a time.

"You were saying?" Kirsten asked, looking back over her shoulder.

"That's it, really. Up till now, I seemed to be dreaming about stuff that happened long ago. This was more recent."

She'd had no choice but to tell Kirsten about her bizarre dreams. At first, she tried being vague. But when Kirsten reminded her that she'd revealed her magic to both Anna _and_ Hans, Anna felt it was only fair to be more upfront.

Well, a little more upfront. She still couldn't tell Kirsten that she had come from the future.

"Well... I can make flying reindeer," Kirsten said with a small laugh. "Who am I to judge? But seriously... how do you know it wasn't just a dream this time? I thought you said the trolls were harmless."

"Yes. But not the leader! Volco, he..."

Anna couldn't bring herself to describe the carnage from her dream.

"You have the map?" Kirsten asked. Anna was grateful that she didn't press any further about the trolls. She dug into her coat pocket and pulled out a map Kirsten had pulled from the library. Then she forced herself to glance down at the expanse below so she could compare it with the map in her hand. But this map was not nearly as detailed as the one she'd taken from Oaken. It was difficult to pinpoint where the hidden path to the valley should be, if it even existed yet. If not, they were in trouble.

The setting sun served as a reminder of her race against time. Anna gazed at the darkening sky, hearing Kirsten gasp.

"What is it?"

Anna looked around although she didn't know what to look for. Kirsten pointed down toward treetops to the northwest. Anna's eyes followed. She frowned at a space where several trees had clearly fallen.

No, not fallen. She knew better.

"Should we...?" Kirsten asked. Her newfound confidence seemed to have evaporated.

"Let's check the ground first," Anna suggested. "We don't want to get too close if they're still nearby."

Kirsten nodded, but Anna felt the other girl tense up as they dipped and flew to that forbidding part of the forest. It occurred to her in that moment how much she was asking from her great-great grandmother. If anything happened to Kirsten outside of Arendelle Castle, it would be Anna's fault.

_Not only that... if anything happens to her, something will probably happen to me... and Elsa._

It wasn't the first time Anna considered what changes she made to the past might do to the future she knew. She clung to the princess as the reindeer began to descend. She felt guilty, but this really had been the only way she could reach Hans in time.

"I didn't see anything... trolls would be hard to miss," Kirsten commented as the reindeer touched ground.

 _In their giant stallo forms, maybe_ , Anna thought as she climbed down. Her boots crunched in the snow as she turned around to find several still forms lying on the ground in the unnatural clearing.

"Princess... I think you better stay here," Anna said. But even as she said it, Kirsten was hopping down from the reindeer's back herself. She walked around Anna, pausing as her eyes caught sight of the bodies. Anna put her arm out to keep the younger princess from approaching.

"Are they...?"

"You should stay here," Anna suggested, glancing warily at the trees, both fallen and standing, as the wind blew their branches to and fro. "I'll check. If anything comes through the trees, just... take the reindeer and go."

Kirsten was heir to the throne, after all. Anna was just a spare from another century. If only one of them could escape, there was no question which it should—

"I'll stay here while you investigate," Kirsten consented. "But I am not leaving without you."

The courage and familiarity of her words struck a chord with Anna. It kept her from objecting. Besides, she could tell from the other girl's face that there would be no changing her mind.

It looked like she and her great-great grandmother had more in common than Anna originally thought.

Anna turned back toward the clearing and braced herself. Her breath clouded up in front of her as she approached the first man on the ground. She thought back to the nightmare in which Volco had flung these men into the trees and stepped on some of them like they were mere ants. The thought made her stomach turn. But she knew, even as she crouched down next to the first guard, that he was probably gone. His breath did not steam up into the winter air the way hers did—because he wasn't breathing. The only other thing she could think to do was to check for a pulse, a thing she had only done to herself for the sake of it after reading about characters doing it in books.

Nothing.

The man could have family. Did his parents know he had gone after the trolls on the king's orders? Did he have a sister like Elsa or a brother like Kristoff? Did he have a sweetheart waiting for him back in Arendelle? Would she come look for him when he didn't return home?

When Anna stood, the forest felt like it was spinning. Maybe it was her hopes pulling away from her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts so she could move on to the next man. But he was gone too.

Anna avoided looking back at Princess Kirsten as she moved from body to body, each one confirming the fear at the pit of her stomach: that Volco had left no survivors, save for the two he sent back to Pabbie. Even though she had seen him make the order, some part of her dreaded each next man lying in the snow might be Hans.

What would she feel if she found him amongst these castle guards, cold and dead? What would it mean to her?

Anna swallowed back the urge to throw up as she stood away from the last remaining body. She focused on the sound of her boot steps as she made her way back to Kirsten; she was afraid that if she didn't, she might lose it.

Oddly, it wasn't until she spoke that she started tearing up. Still, she put all her effort into not falling apart as she delivered the news.

"Fifteen castle guards, dead... by Volco's hand. We were too late."

Even as she shed tears, a different emotion gradually took hold as Anna watched Princess Kirsten weep over the fallen guards.

_That Volco...! How could anyone do such a thing?! He's nothing like Pabbie, Cliff, Bulda or the others. He's a monster!_

"But maybe not too late for Hans," Kirsten said suddenly, sniffling. She wiped off her own tears with one arm and looked around, trembling. "I think I... it's strange, but I can feel other magic here. We may be able to follow it."

Anna dared to hope.

"The only problem is... it branches off in two different directions."

Kirsten pointed first north and then southeast.

"Volco told one of them to bring Hans and Hansel back to the caves. That would be that way," Anna said, pointing north. "But the rest of them may be on their way to Arendelle."

She and Kirsten both stayed silent, thinking.

Finally, Kirsten spoke. "We flew here. It will still take them all night to reach Arendelle on foot. We can go to the caves, rescue those two and then fly back to warn my father."

Anna's mouth dropped open, but she found herself speechless in the face Kirsten's resolve.

 _Who is this?_ Anna thought, thinking back to the timid girl who hid from her when Anna first went to Olaf's castle. Maybe this was who Kirsten was all along—a brave young woman. Or maybe it had something to do with seeing her guards lifeless in the snow. Whatever it was, Anna admired the other girl.

"You said their lives are in danger, right?" the princess asked as she hopped back onto her snowmount. Then, she offered a hand to help Anna up. "Let's get a move on!"

* * *

Just as she thought, Kirsten was able to follow the trail of magic north. They flew in the cover of the trees. It was only thanks to their closer distance to the ground that Anna was able to recognize the path leading into the troll lands. She had Kirsten land the snowmount so they could continue on foot.

The sky had already grown dark, so it was difficult to pinpoint the exact moment they entered the trolls' territory. Kirsten had to summon a snowy torch to light the way, taking the lead in spite of Anna's protests. The girls did not get very far before Kirsten stopped short and gasped.

Anna quickly walked ahead of the princess to see what the trouble was. She found herself staring at Pabbie, crouched as if hiding and waiting for them a little ways along the trail.

"You!" Pabbie hissed when he recognized Anna. "I already helped you out of here once. I won't be able to help you a second—"

"Pabbie!"

It was all she could do not to dash up and hug him. The fact that he clearly sneaked out this far to meet them—to stop them from walking into danger—told her all that she needed to know.

"Saph brought Hansel and Hans?" she asked.

Pabbie looked troubled at the mention of the two prisoners. Then, he narrowed his eyes.

"How'd you know it was Saph who brought them...?"

"That's not all I know," Anna answered as she slowly stepped toward him. She knelt down so he wouldn't have to look up at her. "I saw what Volco did to the king's men. I know that the trolls who went with him are afraid of him. I know they just want to protect the forest."

Pabbie's gaze fell in shame at the reminder of Volco's violence.

"I know there's a way for the trolls to make peace with Arendelle even now."

He looked like he wanted to believe her. But a breath later, he shook his head.

"Surely not after what Volco did."

"But Volco doesn't have to lead the rest of you. He shouldn't get to, not when he doesn't represent the life-loving trolls I've met."

She gave Pabbie an encouraging smile. He considered her words quietly at first, eventually nodding in agreement.

"Now... Hans and Hansel," Anna said, cutting herself short at the guilty look on Pabbie's face. "Oh... oh, you didn't kill them, did you?!"

"What? Of course not! But if I don't, Volco will. And the tunnels are guarded now because of last time."

"Pabbie, right?" Kirsten asked, finally joining the conversation. Pabbie nodded, though he looked a little wary about the fact that Anna had brought a new person to the valley.

Kirsten followed Anna's example, kneeling down in the snow so that Pabbie would not have to gawk up at her. "You just have to talk sense into the others. Anna has told me a little about your... community. Based on what I've heard, they can't possibly like what Volco's doing."

Pabbie's face grew rather dark at that. "They don't like what King Olaf's done to the forest either!"

Anna intervened here. "But King Olaf can be reasoned with... right?"

Kirsten's frown revealed her uncertainty.

"Look," Anna said, addressing the two of them. "Volco has gone too far. He's taken lives. There will be war once the king finds out. But if we can show him that Volco acted alone— _killed alone_ , then..."

"All right."

Anna blinked a few times, wondering if she had heard Pabbie right.

"None of us want war, right?" Pabbie asked.

Anna and Kirsten nodded.

Satisfied with the consensus, Pabbie beckoned them to follow him down the trail and into the Valley of Living Rock. As soon as they broke through the trees, Anna gulped. There weren't just young trolls spread across the cliffs this time. Adult trolls stopped mid-conversation, turning their eyes toward Pabbie and the two humans. There was a deafening silence. For a moment, Anna thought all hell would break loose the moment any of them breathed.

" _This lady is Anna... and this—"_ Pabbie paused to indicate Kirsten, but clearly he did not know her name.

Kirsten stepped up and bowed. " _I'm Princess Kirsten._ "

" _And they come here today to offer something I hope we can offer back,_ " Pabbie sang.

" _What's that_?" the crowd of trolls asked. If there was one way to win a troll of the valley over, it was by using song.

Pabbie stepped aside and gestured for Anna to take the spotlight.

" _Well, I'm glad that you've asked that... you see, we're offering friendship. We think there have been one too many misunderstandings between us all._ Humans and trolls, I mean."

" _I don't know you and you don't know me,_ " Kirsten chimed in." _Maybe if we did, we'd find similarity? Your valley is lovely, my castle is grand. We both love our homes and the ground on which they stand._ "

One of the trolls stepped up, egged on by some of the others. " _We've seen... your ships in the fjord. They look like they fly on water. And it's something we don't understand, yet still it awes and mystifies us all._ "

Anna grinned and sang back, " _I've seen your crystals, your love for nature, connects you to trees and the sky and water. Humans forget this, though they know beauty too. Someone could remind them, those someones could be you._ "

" _With_ _moderation, we don't need all the trees... we just needed some for ships, but we've become greedy..._ " Kirsten looked a little worried as she sang this part. She suddenly bowed low, interrupting the song to shout, "On behalf of Arendelle, I'm sorry!"

The valley fell quiet save for the echo of the princess's heartfelt apology. A few of the trolls stepped up to her, patting her on the shoulder. She looked up in alarm but relaxed as she saw they were smiling at her.

" _Arendelle's heir seems righteous and kind,_ " one sang.

" _Perhaps she can lead her folks to see with the same mind_ ," another added.

" _We don't know you and you don't know us,_ " Pabbie sang to Kirsten. " _But I suspect now we can build a base for trust."_

Anna started as the entire valley started singing in harmony.

" _Da da dum dy dum da, da da dum dy. Da da dum da dy dum da, da da dum dy..."_

"Yes, I'm sure of it," Pabbie added, smiling. "We all just need to act with more patience, courage and peace."

Anna agreed. Then, she remembered the other reason she and Kirsten were there.

"Pabbie... can you take us to Hans now?" She felt a small nudge from Kirsten. "...and Hansel."

The troll did not seem to notice the unspoken exchange between the two young women. He merely nodded and asked them to follow him to the caves.

* * *

Anna had never been in this particular cave before. Granted, it was not like she ever got a full tour of the valley and every cave.

The cavern was shallow, unlike others she'd visited so far. Almost immediately to the right were two chambers made into cells of a sort. There were even bars made of narrow strips of stone that stretched from floor to ceiling. Anna suspected the bars were magically crafted since there were no doors through which the prisoners could get in or out.

She spotted the original troll hunter in the first cell. He was curled up in one of the far corners, sobbing like a child afraid in the dark. She'd let Kirsten handle that one.

As she passed on to the second cell, it felt like her heart was going to leap up her throat. There he was, sitting calmly in the dark. Anna grabbed the cell bars.

"Hans!" she called.

"Anna?"

He squinted at her outside of the cell as though he weren't sure whether he was imagining her. Then, he slowly rose and rushed to the bars, covering her cold fingers with his own. Surprisingly, his were warm.

He was smiling. His eyes were wide as he searched her face and opened his mouth to speak. But at first, he could only smile.

It was a smile that could have knocked Anna over if she hadn't been holding onto something.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he said breathlessly.

"What?" she said. _Of all the stupid ways to respond...!_

Suddenly, he let go, looking as if he just realized what he'd said. Anna dropped her hands too, although she was more reluctant. She looked away from his face as her own grew quite pink.

But it didn't necessarily mean anything, did it? Not, 'I thought I was going to die' or 'I didn't think you'd come here' but 'I thought I'd never see you again'. It didn't necessarily mean that he'd missed her. He just... thought he'd never see her again. Right?

Anna forced herself to glance back toward Pabbie, who held up his earth crystal and closed his eyes in wordless concentration. Seconds after, the cell bars disintegrated into dust which fell to the cavern floor.

Kirsten stepped into Hansel's cell to calm him down so that he'd follow her out.

Something moved in the corner of Anna's vision, making her turn her head to find Hans reaching for her. When their eyes met, he stopped himself and smiled. Anna couldn't help but think he looked unsure of himself.

Suddenly, Hans grew serious. "We have to hurry."

"Huh?"

"He's right," Pabbie agreed. "If Volco actually _killed_ people out there, I can't imagine what he'll do when he reaches Arendelle."

Anna had almost forgotten about Volco. How on earth were they going to deal with him?

It looked like Kirsten was finally able to convince Hansel that her presence wasn't some troll trick and that Pabbie was really letting them all go. Once the group ran out of the cave, Kirsten used her power to create two snow reindeer.

Anna glanced back at Pabbie as she put her mittens on and asked, "Can you come with us? They may actually listen if you're there."

He shook his head.

"I have to watch the children. The adults left here? They're not fighters... if you fail and Volco returns, he'll be angry. Someone will have to..." he trailed off, getting lost in unpleasant thoughts until he could shake them off. "Saph went on to catch up with Volco. You understand? You have to hurry... before he gets the rest to do something they can't take back."

Anna nodded and climbed up on one of the reindeer. She was a little startled when Hans climbed up behind her. Kirsten and Hansel had already taken the other one. The troll hunter still looked pretty shaken up, murmuring about death. Before any of them could leave, he actually spoke.

"Wait..."

Hansel twisted around to look at Pabbie. "He was going to kill you too... if you didn't kill us. Why did you let us live?"

Pabbie stared at him thoughtfully.

"I've met some nice humans," he answered, looking at Anna. "And I've met some evil trolls. I think our people could be friends if only we tried understanding each other."

Anna found herself smiling in agreement.

"We should go," Kirsten whispered.

Anna nodded and picked up the reins. "Hold on, okay?" she said over her shoulder to Hans. She ignored her fluttering heart as she felt him wrap his arms around her middle.

After one last wave to Pabbie, the four of them were off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mainly included another song to lighten things for Anna and Kirsten since, y'know, they had just discovered a bunch of bodies in the forest. Not that they'll forget that any time soon. It's obviously already had a huge impact on Kirsten, one which Anna observes right away. Oh, and I imagined the song to the tune of "Danse for Trærne" by Alexander Rybak in case you had a hard time imagining it. The actual English translation of the song is much better, but you know, copyright. So I just made up new lyrics, but that was the tune in my head everyone was singing to. :)
> 
> Don't misunderstand though! No one here thinks everything's going to be all hunky-dorey just because the princess sang with the trolls. Even Pabbie said it—the two groups still don't understand one another, but the fact that the princess showed up to suggest peace and friendship is major! Anyway, I didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea. Peace and friendship will take effort, and all the characters understand that.


	42. The Prince's Torch

Under the stars and the gibbous moon, the forest looked like a pale blue blanket dotted with black specks. The Valley of Living Rock was minutes behind them now. Anna glanced over at Kirsten on the other flying snowmount with Hansel, eyes clamped shut, behind her. Anna overheard the troll hunter muttering something Anna suspected was a prayer.

She herself was much more at ease riding a flying reindeer this time. Maybe it just paled in comparison to facing off a murderous giant. Or maybe it was hard to feel fear when she had Hans's arms around her.

Anna shook the thought away instantly.

"What's the matter?" she heard Hans ask.

_Where to begin?_

"N-nothing!" she said too quickly. She almost squawked in alarm when he gave her a light squeeze.

"If you say so... just keep in mind we're pretty high up off the ground. You may want to focus."

She wanted to turn back and see if he was laughing at her. But he _had_ just advised her to focus.

 _Hmph_.

"I was just thinking—I wonder if all this magic takes its toll," Anna said. It wasn't exactly a lie. She did sometimes wonder if magic was a physical exertion to Elsa.

"What do you mean?"

The question caught her by surprise; or rather, his interest did.

"Well, I mean... Elsa didn't seem tired when she set off that blizzard. But that was an accident, you know? More of a reaction to all of the stress of hiding her magic, the coronation, all the people, us popping that surprise engagement on her—err—"

"Uh huh?"

"...and I wasn't there when she whipped up that ice palace, so I don't know if that was accidental too or if she actually had to concentrate for that."

"Where are you going with all this? Not that your rambling isn't adorable."

"Look, it's Judet's cabin!" she yelled, outwardly oblivious to his remark as she pointed down to the structure in a clearing far below.

Inside, she felt like fireworks. But she chided herself as well.

_Fool me once, shame on him. Fool me twice? I don't think so, Your Highness._

"I think I see them," Kirsten said.

_Them, the trolls._

All at once, reality came crashing down around Anna. This was no time to be reading into Hans's words, flirtation or not.

"Did anyone here have a plan?" Hans asked. The question was met with a silent pause. "Did reinforcements follow you?" More silence made both the prince and troll hunter groan. "Nothing?!"

"We had to _sneak_ out to rescue you!" Anna hissed back. "...I didn't get a chance to think much beyond that."

The troll hunter let out a whimpering laugh at that. "Maybe we'll think of something before they reach Arendelle!"

Anna went red in half embarrassment and half anger. She was about to snap at Hansel when Kirsten spoke.

"Pabbie seemed to think we could reason with them."

Hansel snorted. "Judging from our own experience, I'd say probably not."

"Well, we _were_ armed," Hans said. "And marching toward their territory."

Anna found herself beaming over his fair reasoning. "Yeah, and none of _us_ are technically armed!" Kirsten's magic could of course do damage if the princess wanted it to.

"Which means we have no way of defending ourselves!" the troll hunter snapped back.

"I think I liked you better when you were crying," Anna muttered. It was worth seeing Hansel's face pinch up as if he'd just accidentally swallowed a bug.

She felt Hans shaking against her back as he tried to hold in his laughter.

"Enough joking around. Are we doing this or not?" Kirsten asked.

Anna glanced at the princess, surprised by the fierce glint in her eyes. It was that look that made Anna calm down and re-evaluate the situation.

"Yes... we'll go down and reason with them. With those who can be reasoned with, anyway."

* * *

Kirsten wielded a ghostly white torch to light the way as the four crept through the snow, gaining on the giant infantry. Anna worried that Volco would sense their approach the way Pabbie could. But even a dozen feet away, the trolls continued their march forward.

Anna counted ten in all. She hoped that they would only have to worry about Volco.

She hoped Pabbie was right. Otherwise, the only one among them who stood a chance against ten giant trolls was Kirsten.

Hansel hung back a little, gesturing his impatience for the others to do something. He looked ready to take off running the moment something went wrong. Anna frowned, wondering at how the troll hunter had slain so many magical creatures when he lacked courage here and now.

Well, there was no use putting it off any longer.

"Excuse me!" Anna shouted, her voice withering into a weak yelp as the giants froze and turned around. "Didn't...want...to startle you."

She gulped at their uniformity. Their hulking bodies were grey as stone and covered in moss robes. They all had trees of varying growth stages rooted to their backs. Both males and females, easy to tell apart from the males' beards, had white willow-like hair.

At first, there were only a couple of surprised grunts. Then, Anna heard a savage growl from the back of the troop. The ground quaked as Volco stomped up to meet the intruders.

"What, no army?" he asked. Even the trees shook when he spoke.

"We're not here to fight you," Anna explained, her hands outstretched with the intention of showing she was harmless.

Volco laughed. For a fleeting moment, Anna felt hopeful. If she could make him laugh, maybe—just maybe—she could talk sense into him. But he would still have to answer for all the lives he took earlier.

That hope fell away from her and buried itself somewhere deep in the snow, never to be considered again. Volco's cool silence confirmed Anna's worst fear. There would be no reasoning with him. The troll was mad with hatred.

"No," Volco agreed. "You're here to die."

"Just a minute!" Kirsten yelled. Volco's head snapped to the right as he switched his gaze from Anna to Kirsten. "We understand your hostility. The king has been taking too much of the forest—"

The troll leader interrupted her with a roar that nearly knocked the four humans off their feet.

"It's not just about the forest!"

Anna sensed a sudden change in the troll. But she couldn't tell what it was until it was too late.

Volco moved with smooth haste, swiping one hand out to knock Kirsten over. The princess fell backward, her magic torch flying out of her hand and landing in the snow. The troll hunter rushed to Kirsten's side as Hans sprang toward Volco, who plucked Anna up off the ground with his other hand. Hans held himself back as a pained scream from Anna indicated the troll had squeezed her in his fist.

Anna choked and tried to gasp for air as Volco's fist closed around her. He'd left her so little leeway, she couldn't even squirm. The troll leader brought her up to his face where she could look directly into his dead, terrifying eyes. All the other trolls had earthy irises, but Volco's were colorless, like ice. Anna could see herself in them.

She half-expected Volco to eat her—that's what some children stories said giants did, didn't they?—when Volco _sniffed_ instead. Anna watched in disgusted horror as the troll's nostrils flared again. Was he... smelling her? She shut her eyes as her sides started to ache from the pressure. Sure, it had been a while since she'd bathed, but Volco smelled just as awful. At least, she thought he did. She was getting lightheaded in the troll's grasp. It was hard to think, much less register odor, when she couldn't breathe well.

"Let her go!" Hans yelled, grabbing Kirsten's torch off the ground to wave it for Volco's attention.

"You smell like magic," Volco said, ignoring the prince with the torch entirely. The troll's voice sounded like falling rocks.

 _Huh?_ Anna popped one eye open.

"But it's different magic," the troll went on, now accusing. "Strong."

Anna shook her head. She would be only too happy to tell Volco to get his nose checked, but she couldn't speak with her ribs on the verge of cracking in his horrible grip.

"Where did you get such power?" he demanded, shaking her a little.

Small lights danced across her vision as Volco shook her. She forced herself to groan, to show him she could not speak unless he loosened his hand. Miraculously, Volco took the hint.

But she wasn't about to tell him it was Kirsten who had power. Anna opened her mouth, still unsure of what to say. Angry words spilled from her.

"You're a monster, Volco."

It was obviously the wrong thing to say. Volco clutched his fist around her once again and raised her high in the air, knocking what little wind she had left out of her. The world moved around Anna in a series of vertical brown and blue blurs. She tried to scream, but it only came out as a weak rattle. She felt him start to bring her back down, surely to splatter her upon the ground or some rock or tree.

" _Volco!_ "

The world stilled—or rather, Volco's fist did.

Anna had to close her eyes again. Her forehead pounded. After a few seconds, she registered Hans's voice. The prince was addressing the troll leader. She had to use the last of her strength to strain her neck so she could look down. There was Hans, flashing the torch over his head like some kind of beacon.

"...the one with magic!" Hans shouted. He glared up at the troll with a look of venom.

What was he talking about?

"See?! This is no ordinary torch. _This_ is what you smell!"

_Hans, what are you doing...?_

"And if you want it, you better set the girl down. _Carefully_ , troll _._ "

Volco paused, considering the auburn haired man. He narrowed his eyes, most likely wondering how the man had escaped the Valley of Living Rock. The flame Hans held was very clearly not normal fire. But Anna wasn't so sure Volco was going to believe that Hans had magic. Why then would he have let himself and Hansel get caught?

But Volco was either too power-hungry or too stupid to realize this. He slowly brought his hand down, Anna with it. As soon as she was freed of the troll's grasp, Anna collapsed in a series of coughs. She inhaled sharply, drinking in the frigid air, not even caring that her ribs stung. She was alive. She could breathe in sweet, delicious air.

Volco took a step toward Hans. Anna looked toward them, the word 'no' forming on her lips even as Hans bolted away from the troll leader, racing past the other trolls and into the forest. Anna struggled to stand, weakly watching Volco let out a terrible snarl and chase off after the prince. Her gaze shifted to Kirsten. Hansel had pulled the princess to sit up with her head leaning on him. Kirsten's eyes were closed. That worried Anna, but there was only so much she could tackle at once.

Next, she looked at the other trolls. Relief struck her when she realized they weren't following Volco. In fact, one by one they reverted to their smaller physical states.

After a second's pause, one of the she-trolls scampered up to Anna. She had lavender crystals strung up around her neck. The troll stopped a couple of feet away and held one of her crystals up, closing her eyes as she waved one hand toward Anna. A purple, glittering light moved from her and encircled Anna.

Anna felt a blip of panic as the light landed on her and then seemingly sunk _into_ her. But when her pain receded, so too did her fear.

"Th-thank you," she said.

The she-troll waited around like she expected something from Anna. They both looked down at Volco's giant foot steps, and Anna understood. She looked to Hansel and gave him a short nod before she broke into a run, following Volco's trail. She had no idea what either Hans or herself could do against the mad giant, but hopefully she could reach them in time to do _something_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The focus will be on Anna and Hans again in the next chapter. Won't go back to Kristoff or Elsa until after that.
> 
> The torch flame isn't actual fire... it's Kirsten's snow/ice magic, strictly used for lighting their path. This caused some confusion on FFnet, so I'm putting a note here.
> 
> Also, Anna just assumes the magic that Volco senses is Kirsten's. But... she might be wrong.
> 
> Oh, and Judet was the old Sami woman who took Hans and Anna in in the beginning, for anyone who forgot.


	43. The Moonlit Drop

Cold air burned her face as she hurried through the woods, woods that smelled of pine needles and iron. The snow gave way to Anna's feet. It was hard to see without the torch, but she could feel the deep imprints of Volco's footsteps. She used them to guide her through the black and blue trees. It got easier once the forest began to thin out.

A particularly drawn-out roar echoed somewhere beyond the trees, giving her a fright. She stumbled and rolled, grasping handfuls of snow as she tried to still herself on the ground. With a shiver, she wiped her cheek dry and launched herself back up. She scurried toward the end of the trees, where the moon and starlight made her surroundings more visible.

The land dropped as a cliff a dozen feet beyond her. She skidded to a halt, panicking as she registered the dead-end. But she eyed the trail of giant footprints, her gaze following them all the way to the cliff edge.

Anna's eyes widened.

"Hans?!" she cried, rushing to the cliff edge. She yelped and hung back as Kirsten's torch suddenly catapulted up over the edge. It landed near her boots, rocking with leftover momentum.

A hand snaked up over the cliff next, following by Hans's slow, climbing form. Anna fell to the ground to help him up. Her head swam as she eyed the twenty foot drop into more forest beneath him. Far below, she thought she could make out a large, crumpled mass lying still.

"What... happened to Volco?" she asked as she watched Hans.

He fell against the ground and rolled over, panting. His cloudy breath blossomed over his face as he worked on catching his breath.

"Hans...?"

"I tricked him. Led him running off the cliff..."

Anna thought of what could have happened to him had Volco caught up to him...

The impulse was like an open door. She leaned toward Hans and threw her arms around him, glad to be alive and glad _he_ was alive. A part of her, less than half, knew it was strange to hug him of all people. But the thought was snuffed out when she felt Hans hug back.

She winced, still sore from Volco's crushing hold on her. Hans must have felt it, for he immediately dropped his arms.

"Is he...dead?"

Hans glanced at the edge of the cliff. "I think so."

Anna frowned. "If not, he's going to look for blood when he wakes up."

He retrieved the magic torch and started to rise. "I'll make my way down to make sure."

"Wait!"

She caught his arm holding the torch, panicking at the thought of him climbing down the treacherous cliff face. Hans raised his eyebrow, waiting for her to speak up.

"I'll go with you," she offered, thinking of the terrible possibility that Volco would spring on Hans once the prince made it down there. And that was only _if_ Hans made it safely.

He pried her hand off his arm. His fingers were gentle, but the message was clear.

"It's too dangerous," he said with a shake of his head. "You should go back and check on the princess."

Anna stood so that she could look down at him, as though that would somehow overcome her sense of rejection. She readied all her counter-arguments. What if Hans slipped and fell? Volco could still be alive. Would Hans have the energy to climb back up?

None of those problems would necessarily be resolved by her presence, she had to admit. In fact, she would probably complicate things with her clumsiness. There was also the fact that her body was still weak from Volco's attack. But she couldn't believe that Hans would be much better off on his own.

Hans watched her changing expressions. "I don't want to leave," he said, standing up. "In case he walks off. We need to know for certain he won't come after us."

Anna frowned.

"I'll be fine," he assured her.

"I'm not going to be able to change your mind, am I?"

At that, he smiled. "You're catching on."

"Fine," she relented. "Just... be careful."

Hans hesitated, looking from the drop below back to Anna. He nodded at her and moved, examining the line of the cliff, gauging the best place to descend.

Anna turned away from him, knowing that if she stayed a moment longer, she would only object again. She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"Hans?"

He was crouched at the edge when he looked back towards her, the torch tucked into his belt now.

"Thank you for saving my life."

His shoulders moved—it wasn't a shrug, not exactly. She couldn't read his face well, but he looked to be searching for his response. Finally, after seconds of silence, he chuckled.

"Well... thanks for saving mine."

* * *

"—about ready to kill him for wasting my time like that," Anna overheard as she exited the trees and entered the clearing.

"You understand? Oh, don't sit up so quickly, Your Highness. You'll probably make yourself dizzy." Hansel was addressing Kirsten. Neither one of them spotted Anna upon her return. "I finally had to threaten him to get him to take me to the right place. Even now, I'm not even sure he would have done it. We were overtaken on the road."

Anna realized he had to be referring to Hans. So... did that mean Hans _hadn't_ planned to lead the king's men to the troll lands?

"That bandage, on your neck..." Kirsten's voice brought Anna back to the present. "I didn't notice it before."

"From the fight. Mostly healed thanks to that Pabbie fellow. Figured he couldn't be all bad when he did that. Even if he did shut us up in a dark cave."

Anna immediately noticed that the band of Volco's followers had gone. She trod up to the troll hunter and princess, stretching her arms out and turning in a semi-circle to ask the question.

But Kirsten looked to the empty space next to Anna and asked, "Where is Hans?"

Anna stopped in her tracks. "He... sort of tricked Volco into running off of a cliff."

" _What_?" Hansel and Kirsten asked in unison.

"I know. He's lucky he didn't get himself killed. But what happened to the rest of the trolls?"

Hansel took the question as a cue to rise after making sure the young princess could sit up without his support. He looked displeased about having to explain himself to a young girl.

"I sent them home for now," he said. "I want to tell King Olaf myself about this night... and his daughter. If it hadn't been for her, Volco would've attacked Arendelle by now."

Anna had to agree with that. She'd have never made it to the Valley of Living Rock without Kirsten's help. "Yes... King Olaf will have to listen when he hears that."

"I wouldn't have even left the castle if it weren't for Anna though," Kirsten admitted. "So, most of the credit for tonight should go to you."

Anna let out a tired laugh. "We don't need to mention that part. I'm not sure the king would appreciate it."

The younger princess tried to smile, but she winced, leaning over with her head resting on her knees.

"Your Highness?" Hansel reached to put a hand on her shoulder, but he stopped himself.

Anna knelt down in front of the other royal, casting aside the fact that both of her companions thought she was a commoner. She put one hand up to Kirsten's forehead and, for comparison, her other hand up to her own.

"Is she with fever?" Hansel asked.

Anna shook her head. She had thought being out in the cold might have made the princess ill. But she didn't seem feverish. The cold shouldn't have bothered her, anyway.

Kirsten groaned and hugged her dress around her knees, hiding her face. "I just feel weak," she explained. The effort it took for her to speak was obvious.

Anna thought of suggesting that Hansel go ahead and start carrying the princess back to Arendelle as she was in no condition to walk herself. But then Anna considered that moving Kirsten might make her feel worse.

"Just... rest for now. We'll figure out what to do when Hans gets back," Anna said, softly petting the girl's hair. "Does it feel like you're going to be sick...?"

Kirsten shook her head a little. "I just... need to close my eyes."

Anna exchanged a worried glance with the troll hunter. She tried to keep calm. It could just be exhaustion, right? They'd been out all night, after all. Kirsten was probably used to going to bed by a certain hour.

 _Yes, that's probably it. Just let her rest_ , Anna thought, taking a seat across from them.

The three sat in silence for a time. Anna did not want to wake Kirsten, who seemed to have fallen asleep minutes after she closed her eyes. She wouldn't have known what to say to a troll hunter anyway, so the silence suited her just fine.

* * *

Anna wasn't sure how much time had passed when a glowing light approached and Hans walked out through the trees, his hand holding up the silvery white torch. Anna was the only one to jump up and go to him. She sprinted up to him, relieved he had made his way back to them. She'd have thought that he would look happier about it. But his expression was oddly cold as he stopped in his tracks to look at her.

"Well...? Was Volco...?"

"Dead," Hans confirmed. Without another word, he stalked past her to approach the princess and the troll hunter.

Stunned, Anna stood there, staring into the forest.

_What's with him?_

She turned to find him knelt before Princess Kirsten and overherad him gently wake her to inquire about her state. Kirsten did feel nauseous now, as well as dizzy.

"We should let her rest more," Hansel said, his face wrinkled with concern.

Hans nodded, looking equally serious although it resembled less concern and more something else. "We passed over a friend's cabin on our way here. We can take her there. Judet had medicine, didn't she?"

Anna blinked several times before realizing the question was directed at her. She didn't think Judet had treated Hans with any medicine, but she had not stayed in the room with them the entire time Judet looked after him.

"I-I'm not sure... but I'm sure she would give us a place to rest till morning," she said.

Hans kept a blank face as he looked at the troll hunter, gesturing toward the princess.

"Princess, can you stand? I can carry you so you don't have to walk," Hansel offered.

Anna rushed to Kirsten's side to help her stand. The trembling of the younger girl's hand, as she took hold of Anna's supporting arm, worried her. She encouraged Kirsten to lean against her as Hansel crossed in front of them. He crouched low with his back toward the princess.

Kirsten moved to climb onto his back, but she held herself back, holding her head.

"You can do it," Anna cheered softly, eager for Judet's warm hearth and a place to rest her eyes.

Kirsten made a second attempt, this time able to hold herself up.

"You can hang onto my shoulders, Your Highness," Hansel offered. "If you start to feel sick, let me know. I'll set you down."

Anna glanced away from them, looking at Hans in the corner of her eye. He paid no attention to any of them, apparently transfixed on a certain direction in the trees. She wanted to reach toward him to ask what was wrong. Maybe it was foolish of her to start thinking of him as a friend. For all she knew, his sudden mood could be that of a brooding villain deep in his own mind, building his next scheme.

"Are one of you going to lead the way or are we just gonna stand here till dawn?" Hansel snapped.

Anna jumped to take the forefront, but Hans beat her to it. She lingered, frowning as the troll hunter followed.

After a moment, she sprinted to catch up to the others.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Sorry for the delay. I was on vacation and then playing catch-up at work. I'm going to expand my usual turnaround time for chapters to 10-15 days from the old 7-10. Things are just getting too busy for me. Of course, I'll post sooner than later whenever possible. :)
> 
> This chapter was one case where writing from Hans's POV would have been pretty interesting. Alas, I'd already decided not do to that. I'm still considering doing a Hans companion piece once this story is completed. We'll see. ^^ Thanks for reading!


	44. A Simple Gesture

There was some resistance from the troll hunter about taking the princess to a stranger's cabin in the woods when, "She should be given to the care of the royal physician!" and, "We can just fly her there with her magic reindeer". When Hans did not jump in to be the voice of reason, Anna had been forced to. She was tired, bewildered and cranky, frankly wanting nothing more than to collapse in a deep sleep on the ground at her feet. But given the ground was covered in snow and Judet's home was just on the other side of a fence mere steps away, she fell to her more reasonable judgment and explained to Hansel that King Olaf might not react well to his daughter's ill state. Aside from the trolls, Judet seemed to be the next best person to consult about Kirsten's condition, be it of magical or natural causes.

Besides, Anna was not about to risk the ill princess falling off a flying reindeer when shelter was to be had.

Light glowed from the cabin windows. Anna let out a relieved sigh as they finally approached the door.

Hans knocked.

They waited only a few seconds, and then the door opened. Judet was as hospitable as before, stepping aside to shuffle them all in once she eyed Kirsten leaning on Hansel behind Hans and Anna.

"Bring her this way, near the fire," he said, instructing the troll hunter to lead the others. "Anna, the door. Would you please?"

Anna closed the door behind her, already relishing in the warmth of Judet's home. She heard the scrape of a chair across floor boards and looked over to find Judet sitting Kirsten down in the lone chair. The girl was awake now.

"How long?" Judet asked. The others all looked perplexed. "How long has she been this way?"

Hansel answered, "We had an encounter with the trolls—"

"Stallos," Anna explained to Judet. She glanced at Hans who stood before the brimming fireplace, his arm resting on the mantel as he gazed quietly into the flames.

"—not far from here," Hansel continued without pause. "Her Highness was knocked to the ground in the middle of it. That must have been an hour ago?"

Judet's reaction was peculiar. She seemed not to react to Hansel's words, but to the princess's white hair, which she moved as if to touch. But she pulled her hand away at the last second, looking puzzled.

"She is the princess?"

Although she asked, it did not sound like a question, Anna thought.

Kirsten groaned, weakly looking up at the old woman who felt at her forehead.

"Headache throbbing? Dizziness?" Judet asked, addressing Kirsten directly this time. "Like your head is too heavy for your neck when you stand?"

Kirsten nodded in affirmation while she tried to sit up straight. "How do you know? And how did you know I'm the princess?"

Judet gave her a kind smile before she plucked an iron kettle off of the mantelpiece and startled Hans out of his brooding reverie. "Let us make a deal, Your Highness. You feel better, and then I will tell you. For now, you should all get some rest. I'll make you all a hot drink, and then off to bed."

* * *

Hours later, still well before dawn, Anna woke up in the room with the box-bed. Princess Kirsten slept soundly behind her. Judet had insisted that they take the bed while everyone else could find a comfortable space on the floor.

The faint glow of moonlight and snowfall drew her gaze towards the low lone window, where Hans sat with his side along the wall as he peered out at the falling snow. The room was dark, but Anna could make out something turning in the prince's idle hands. It glinted whenever the light from the window hit it.

Anna slowly leaned up on her arms to try and see what it was. But the creaking of the old bed frame alerted Hans. He hid the thing, whatever it was, much to Anna's annoyance.

"You're awake," he said quietly enough not to disturb the third party in the room.

"Where's Hansel?"

"Asleep in the other room," he answered. "Judet doesn't sleep."

Anna recalled that the old woman had told her as much.

"Not since her husband died, I think," Anna thought out loud.

"Hmm."

He didn't sound particularly interested as he traced shapes in the frost on the window.

They stayed silent for a moment. Anna, startled by his trancelike behavior, watched his finger on the window. He did not draw anything in particular, just odd zigzags.

"So..." Anna said, never one to sit quietly for long. She had spent so much of her life struggling with this: the silence of a closed door. "Tomorrow's the big day, hey?"

Hans stopped and looked at her.

"We go to the king, announce Volco's death. Kirsten and Hansel can defend the remaining trolls and petition for peace. King Olaf will hear out our role in all of this, and hopefully, we can be on our way!"

She didn't realize until she said it just then, but she hadn't a clue as to where they should be 'on their way' to. Nor was she so certain there was any _'they'_.

Realizing that he hadn't commented, Anna looked down and found Hans resumed playing with the frost on the window. Miffed, she grumbled, "You may not be excited, but I am."

"Please, tell me what I should be so excited about," Hans snapped, though he still managed to keep his voice only a fraction above a whisper. "You act as though you have a plan for after all of this."

"Well..." she started, but trailed off. There were options, weren't there? "With Volco gone, we can go back to the trolls and see if they can send us home."

"Home?" He scoffed. "You expect me to willingly go back to a place where I'll be tried and jailed for something out of my control?"

Anna sat up in alarm. "Something out of—what?"

It was the first time he'd spoken about his actions in Arendelle with any kind of transparency. Her knuckles whitened as she clutched her blanket, watching him struggle for an explanation. His eyes met hers for an instant in utter clarity, but the moment passed a breath later. A cloudy daze settled over him once more as he looked out the window, again intrigued by frost and snow. Anna slumped against her pillow.

"I'm glad I didn't kiss you then," she heard. She popped her head back up to look down at him, her brow furrowed. "My first kiss didn't have any meaning... If I'd kissed you when you begged me to, it wouldn't have had any meaning either."

Anna recoiled at that, moving as if to jump out of bed but frightened of what she might do if she actually went to him. The confusion hurt so much, it made her tremble.

"Leaving me to die was _not_ better than a kiss you wouldn't have meant," she hissed. It took every ounce of self-control she could summon not to shout at him.

She gave a little startled cry when he shot up from the floor and stalked up to the edge of the box-bed. He gazed down at her fiercely, desperation flickering through his face as he leaned over her, close enough to touch. Then, the intensity just evaporated, melting into sadness.

"I'll go sleep by the fire," he muttered. He turned his back to her and quickly left the room.

Anna shivered under her blanket, unsure now that she was not dreaming. She'd thought her sister was difficult to understand, but _Hans_?

Seething, she shut her eyes against her pillow. She had to accept that she might never understand him... while also accepting that she truly wanted to.

* * *

The following morning found Princess Kirsten completely recovered and greedily gobbling down the ember flatbread and smoked reindeer meat Judet had prepared for their breakfast. Her companions watched in silent awe as she gulped water from her wooden cup to wash down the food.

"She may have lost her royal manners, but she looks much better," Hansel noted in amusement as he chewed a piece of flatbread himself. Anna, still basking in the buttery scent wafting through the cabin, giggled as Kirsten paused in embarrassment.

Judet smiled at them while scrubbing at the pan she'd used to bake their breakfast. "That is usually the way of magic sickness," she said. "One just needs to sleep it off."

Everyone stopped chewing, drinking and giggling to turn toward her in surprise.

"You've seen it before, then?"

Kirsten was the one brave enough to ask.

Judet froze mid-scrub as though she'd let something unintended slip. Slowly, carefully, she put the pan down on a cloth-covered trivet so it could dry. Then she turned to face them all.

"I guess the jig is up, as they say," she answered, patting her skirts to dry off her hands. "Well, Princess, we did make a deal. You're better now, so I can tell you..."

Everyone in the room tensed, listening.

"I recognized the illness because I dealt with it for forty years, whenever my husband used more magic than he was accustomed to," Judet explained. "I recognized you because you look a lot like him with your snow white hair... which should be no surprise, since you seem to have inherited the same wintry powers he had."

Kirsten's mouth dropped open in amazement as she put together what Judet was telling her. But Anna, ever impulsive, was the one to voice the conclusion.

"You were the woman... the one Crown Prince Nils ran off with?!"

Judet's sigh made Anna regret the question. "Well, that's not entirely true. We did marry without the royal blessing, but we didn't run off... the King and Queen stripped Nils of his title so that he'd be a commoner. Which he did not mind so much, except that they banned him from the castle..." She looked at Kirsten, smiling sadly. "He missed his younger brother dearly, but there was not much he could do. The argument with his parents got out of hand and... they were terrified of him after the accident, so we kept to ourselves."

"What accident?" Anna asked.

Judet frowned, looking at her husband's niece. Kirsten pushed her plate away, apparently having lost her appetite. She turned toward Anna.

"The servants said the queen, my grandmother, was injured during the argument. She hit her head in the explosion of ice. Slept for weeks after that. Fortunately, she survived... but my father had a deep-seated hatred and fear of sorcery after that."

Anna nodded, understanding King Olaf a little better now.

"But you weren't afraid of him," Kirsten said, addressing Judet once again.

"No. He was afraid of himself sometimes... he didn't need one more person to be scared of him, so I decided a long time ago to accept him. Always. No matter what." Judet looked away, her gaze dreamy as she seemed to recall faraway memories. "It took many years, but he did eventually learn to control his magic even when he was upset."

Kirsten guessed, "With your help."

Judet nodded.

After a moment, Anna felt something unspoken between the two. She worried over what would happen if it wasn't said, so she took it upon herself to speak up.

"So... I guess Judet is your aunt by marriage, Your Highness," she said, smiling back and forth between the two.

Kirsten smiled back. Clearly, she had been thinking the same thing. Then, the smile faded as she glanced down at the table. "When did my uncle die? How did he die?"

Anna was vaguely aware of Hansel inching out of the room when she felt Hans's hand at her shoulder.

"We should give them a moment," he whispered.

Anna was still furious with him for his strange behavior, and part of her felt the conversation pertained to her since she _was_ technically family. She shrugged him off at first only to have him tug her away. Hans walked her to the front door where Hansel stood waiting.

"What's your problem?!" Anna snapped. She quieted when Hansel raised his eyebrow at the two of them. Hans took her aside so that Hansel wouldn't have to stand there awkwardly, listening.

"You have Elsa waiting for you back at home. Let the princess have this for herself."

Anna's face scrunched up in confusion. "I wasn't trying to take it away from her."

The prince sighed and shook his head. "Maybe not consciously."

Now, Anna was the one to raise her eyebrow. Whatever Hans was talking about, she didn't get it.

Exasperated, Hans ran a hand through his auburn hair and sighed at her. "Oh, Anna..."

She cringed at the phrase, but did not interrupt.

"You're constantly trying to connect with someone. Whether it's your sister, myself, that princess or the old woman... you didn't have much of that growing up, so you're forever trying to make up for it."

Anna glared at him, rejecting his analysis. "If you know me so well, why did you butt in?"

"Because I also know you care for that girl... and if you want her to have someone here, in her own time, to work through her magic and troubles with, you can't be in there sharing the spotlight. Especially not if you intend to go back to your own time. That's not being fair to the princess."

She bristled at the way he referred to it as 'her' time.

"Since when does Hans Westergaard care about fairness?"

For a split-second, he looked genuinely hurt. Then a creaking floorboard drew both their faces back toward the door. Kirsten and Judet had come out to join them. Kirsten looked at the two of them with concern as she slid into her fur coat.

"Are you ready?" Judet asked, looking from them to Kirsten and Hansel. Everyone nodded and followed Hansel outside as he opened the door, leading the way.

Outside, Anna was surprised to find the two snowmounts waiting for them at the fence. Kirsten must have conjured them at some point, once she was feeling better.

Hans claimed the reindeer on the left, climbing up on its back. Upon seeing this, Anna automatically moved toward the one on the right. But Kirsten was already on the mount with Hansel climbing up behind her.

Cursing under her breath as she strode up to him, Anna heaved herself up behind Hans. She glared daggers into the steel blue coat over his back. Just because they had to share transportation did not mean she had to cling to him. So, she'd keep her hands at her side.

Much to her chagrin, Hans noticed and glanced back at her over his shoulder. "Aren't you going to hold on?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"Anna..."

" _What_?"

He turned his head to face the front again, emitting a sigh. "You don't want to fall off."

"I won't, thank you." She shifted around and sat up straight, quite proud of herself.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked. He glanced off at Kirsten and Hansel ascending already.

Anna growled inwardly and jabbed him in the back with her finger. "What's gotten into me? What's gotten into _you_?! You're the one playing hot and cold and hot and cold and hot again! I can't keep up!" Tears pricked her eyes and startled her. With a sniffle she tried very hard to keep quiet, she wiped them away from her face.

"You're being ridiculous."

"Your _face_ is ridiculous!" she snapped at him, her voice not as even as she meant it to be. She sniffed again, embarrassed because she was, in fact, being a little bit ridiculous, if she was being honest with herself. She didn't have to admit it to Hans, though.

Hans reached back for her wrists and pulled her arms around him before giving their reindeer a gentle kick. The creature leaped up into the air, startling Anna so much that she squawked and clutched Hans for dear life. She glared at his back again, wanting to punch his stupid coat, but not wanting to let go as the snowmount lifted them on a steep path toward the sky.

Anna sighed, her anger peeling away as she focused on what was to come. The meeting with King Olaf would go well. It just had to. Then, she could see about figuring out a way back to her sister, regardless of whether Hans wanted to go with her or not.

It's not like she needed him.

It was light, so soft on her skin that at first, she thought she imagined it. But she felt Hans close one of his hands over her own.

That one gesture shattered all thoughts of her not needing him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'awwww. Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I've answered some people's questions below... 
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> Yes, Volco's gone. Hans is not Volco in disguise. But he did take something from the body, which you've probably guessed already while reading this chapter.
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> Hans is definitely trying to keep his cool, but it's a little more complicated than that. He can't fully control the way he's acting.
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> As for Kirsten's illness, Judet pretty much explained it this chapter. This was something Anna mused on previously—does the magic take its toll? It absolutely does. In the present timeline, Elsa's blizzard was sort of a violent reaction to her keeping her feelings and powers hidden away, so she didn't really suffer the effects of it, especially since she was able to go off to her own ice palace and kind of recoup herself there. Since then, she hasn't done anything major with her magic, so she's had time to recover naturally. I guess you could look at her cold from Frozen Fever as a delayed magic sickness. :P
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> In the past, Kirsten hadn't done anything huge with her powers until Anna asks for her help. Much like Elsa, she'd been encouraged to keep her powers hidden... so she didn't get to exercise her magic like Elsa did as a kid with Anna. I hope that's not too confusing... I just didn't like the idea of magic not coming with a price (lol, I can hear all the "Once Upon a Time" characters in my head right now).


	45. The North Star

"Look out, Your Majesty!"

Elsa ducked just in time to avoid the snowball pelted by Nilda, the younger of Lord Jorn's great-granddaughters. The snowball flew over the top of her head, thanks to Albine's warning. The girls, eight and eleven years old respectively, rivaled the energy of Anna and herself when they had been that age.

As if laying out a sheet, Elsa flung her hands up to summon a miniature storm of soft snowballs, which she dropped over the giggling Nilda. Nilda squeaked and tried to catch the dozens of snowballs in her arms as they fell upon her, some plopping gently upon her grinning face. Most bounced off of her head crowned by her mouse brown braids. Albine pointed and laughed at her sister until Nilda flung some of the snowballs at her next. The queen stood back and watched the siblings as she reminisced about days of old when she and Anna used to play with snow.

"Albi! Nil! Come now, you still have to take baths!"

Elsa looked up to find the girls' mother calling down from the safety of the terrace overlooking the back lawn, which Elsa had temporarily transformed into a winterscape.

"But we were going to skate with Queen Elsa again!" Nilda protested.

"Yeah!" Albine agreed, shaking their skirts to rid them of remaining snow. Apparently, the sisters were allies now.

Lady Margaret smiled at Elsa, but gave her two daughters a firm shake of her head. "You can't bother Her Majesty _all_ evening."

"But Mamma...!"

Both girls started up with excuses of how special the occasion was. They'd had no idea Queen Elsa would be so much fun, and oh, they had no lessons this evening, so couldn't they play just a bit longer? Elsa held back a giggle as she watched the young mother above grow sterner by the second. She was just about to reassure the children that she would return another time when their father walked out to join his wife. He must have seen Lady Margaret's growing impatience, for he put an arm around her and murmured something that softened her gaze.

"You two little ladies come in now or you'll get no story before bed," he warned them.

The sisters exchanged horrified looks and then scrambled to race back to the mansion, giggling at each other as they slipped and slid across the snowy grounds.

"You know your children well, Lord Viggo," Elsa shouted up merrily, still somewhat awed by the girls' sudden cooperation. Lady Margaret took her husband's hand and smiled proudly. Elsa could see the resemblance between the girls and their parents quite clearly now.

"You'll understand yours well too one day, Your Majesty," Lady Margaret said. "You played well with my daughters today. It's been an honor."

Elsa felt herself brighten at the thought of having children of her own one day. She had never allowed herself to fully consider becoming a mother because of her magical burden, but... truthfully, she did like children.

"The honor was mine," she said. She briefly thought back to the woman with the baby she encountered when fleeing from her coronation ball. It was a relief that not all mothers were frightened for their children's safety around her. "Thank you!"

The parents bowed together before they turned to go inside, their arms linking. Elsa watched their backs fade from view before she walked toward the patio herself. Lord Jorn stood leaning against the open ballroom double doorframe, smiling as she approached.

"Ahem..."

Elsa stopped in place and looked at him. He pointed to the land behind her still covered in snow. With a small gasp, she drew her arm out in a semi-circle, quickly thawing the winter scene until it was again summer grass and garden under the shadows of the growing dusk. When she was done, she turned toward him with a sheepish grin.

"Forgive me, Lord Jorn! I was having so much fun, I forgot myself."

The elderly lord chuckled and shook his head. "You had fun, Your Majesty. There is nothing to forgive." He looked as if he were having an inward debate with himself as he idly scratched his whiskery chin. Conscious of this, Elsa took the other side of the wide frame and casually rested there while she waited for him to decide whether to speak.

Finally, he did.

"It's been many years since I've seen you smile that much."

Elsa stiffened as years of solitude and struggle flooded her mind. She tried to think of the last time Lord Jorn would have seen her prior to her parents' deaths. The king and queen had tried so hard to keep the nobility from learning about Elsa's magic that she had not interacted with most of them after the accident with Anna.

"Anna and I used to play like that when we were that age. It seemed like... well, with my powers, there was nothing we couldn't do."

Lord Jorn did not comment when she paused.

"But children can be reckless... and of course, there was eventually an incident where my sister was hurt."

The lord turned toward her in surprise. "Is that when they closed up the castle?"

Elsa nodded.

"I figured it had something to do with you," he admitted. "But back then, of course, people had no idea."

Now, it was Elsa's turn to be surprised. She had often wondered what the kingdom thought when her parents isolated the entire family and the castle.

"Yes... Father and Mother were worried, so they kept my magic hidden. Even Anna had no memory of it after she woke up. And so, our sisterly bond was just swept away after that... and after our parents' deaths."

"You have each other now though," Lord Jorn pointed out. "Better late than never."

Elsa frowned, looking past the long lawn toward the trees across the mountains at the kingdom's back. "That might be true, but I already failed Anna again. She's out there somewhere..."

Thankfully, Lord Jorn said nothing about that. While she was sure her sister would disagree, Elsa could not help but feel responsible for Anna's disappearance. If only she had not been so hard on her when Prince Hans vanished. She'd sort of just... panicked.

_Anna's safe. Love you._

The queen relaxed as she recalled the message scratched into the kitchen wall. Somehow, Anna had gotten that message to her. It was inexplicable, but Elsa could trust that Anna was all right.

Kristoff, on the other hand...

"Your Majesty?"

"It's nothing. But I should be heading back to the castle."

* * *

Kristoff had hidden Pabbie's flight boots under the furs on his bed. That was where they'd remain until he could figure a way out of the Ice Maiden's fortress. Even if he could find an exit, the ice minions lurked about in the entrance hall, so there was always someone to watch him come and go between the corridor with his room and the mirror hall, where he worked. They didn't bother locking either his bedroom or the mirror hall, so clearly they trusted that he would not be able to escape.

Even if he could get away, it would mean leaving Sven behind. He let out a tight-lipped sigh of resignation as he carefully added yet another shard to the mirror puzzle. The idea of leaving Sven and the other ice prisoners in that room made his skin crawl. Would Elsa be able to defrost them or would they have to force the Ice Maiden to? He had no idea. But if Kristoff was certain of anything, it was that it was only a matter of time before the Ice Maiden noticed her 'vault' had been broken into. He wasn't certain of how she'd react, but he was fairly sure he did not want to be around to find out.

So, therein lied the rub. He didn't _want_ to leave Sven behind, but he couldn't help him without Elsa. There was no way out, but he had to escape before the Ice Maiden discovered that he planned to.

He almost missed the opening of the hall door over his own grumbling, but he looked up to see the Ice Maiden enter. She looked as cold and stoic as ever. Kristoff rolled his eyes and went back to sorting through mirror fragments. In just that day, he'd added six pieces to the growing completed section, not that this impressed his captor. The Ice Maiden stood over him crouched on the floor, checking his progress without comment.

"What's with this thing, anyway?" he asked. Of course, sensing that she would not answer, it felt more like talking to himself. Regardless, he picked up a fragment and turned it over as he looked up at her. "It shows things sometimes. Like... visions or something."

The Ice Maiden did not so much as raise her eyebrow. Scowling, Kristoff stood with the fragment in his hand. "What, it hasn't shown you anything? Or you just don't want to tell me?" He chuckled darkly when she remained silent, thrusting the fragment out towards her as he snapped. "Well?!"

The Ice Maiden flinched away from his hand, curiously enough.

"What?" he asked. He noticed then that she would not look directly at the mirror shard, her cool eyes instead focusing on his wrist. "You can't look at it?" He lifted his hand and sure enough, the Ice Maiden's gaze shifted again to avoid staring at it.

"You're not making much progress," she said, surprisingly calm. He'd expected her to lose her temper.

"I'm not... I'm sorry, _what_? Maybe I would've made _more_ progress with a little help." He was careful not to squeeze the mirror piece in his hand so hard that he'd cut himself again, but he did step toward her and practically shoved it in her face. "But you seem to be unable to even look at this thing...!"

The Ice Maiden took a couple of steps back, her eyes wide for all of a second before she glared at him. "I can't. As you said."

He wondered what would happen if he threw it at her. But he knew better. She'd see it coming. Then she might actually starve him to death. Dying hungry and cold in the lonely fortress was not the end he wanted for himself. He'd sooner set the place to flames.

And then, glancing down at the mirror shard in his hand, an idea struck him.

"Oh...?" he said, pulling the fragment close to his face as though looking into it. "That's interesting."

"What is it?"

He held back a victorious smile as he looked up at her again.

"I see a ship."

The Ice Maiden's stony face faltered. He caught her _almost_ looking at the fragment, but she stopped herself.

"What else?"

With a shrug, he turned the mirror back and forth in his hand, making a grand show of an attempt to view the scene from better angles. Though in truth, the mirror showed nothing but his reflection at the moment.

"The captain has a mirror shard," he lied, hoping the deception was not obvious. Luckily for him, the Ice Maiden was not looking at him. She looked off toward the open door.

"Where is this ship? Can you see its surroundings?"

He almost bit his lip in thought, but he stopped himself in time as she turned to face him again.

_Think. Think quickly._

"Uh... no, it's just all ocean around it," he said. He did not want to lead her toward any civilization lest she take it out on innocent people nearby once she discovered the lie. "See?" For safe measure, he tried once more to get her to look at the mirror shard.

Again, her icy expression cracked as she averted her eyes which betrayed her growing impatience... and something else. Wariness? Fear?

"What does the ship look like?"

Well, crap. He didn't know a whole lot about ships.

"Oh, well it's a... big ship with... white sails and a... oh, there's a flag." He had to give her something distinct to chase after, right? "A purple flag with a golden sun. It's a Coronan flag, then. In the middle of the ocean... yep." He felt himself sweat while he waited to see whether she believed him. _He_ wouldn't believe him.

The Ice Maiden paused for a mere two seconds before she hurried away from him, startling the ice harvester with her haste. She hesitated just outside of the mirror hall and yelled something incomprehensible. Kristoff's rising hopes were crushed when one of the ice minions came to their mistress's call as a replacement to watch over him. But he couldn't help but be relieved when he heard the howling winds outside as the Ice Maiden flung her fortress doors open.

He pocketed the mirror fragment before the minion entered the hall. His plan was crazy. But he had to try, and he would have to act quickly. There would only be so much time before the Ice Maiden figured out his lie.

And he could _not_ be around when she returned.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy for Kristoff to go back to his room. He only had to tell his new 'supervisor' that he had to go relieve himself. She turned in disgust, quickly waving him out of the hall as though she expected him to go right in front of her if he didn't leave immediately. Some part of him was stunned that the minion even understood what he meant. Ice minions didn't need to eat or use the privy, did they?

Well, perhaps the Ice Maiden did, and that was why they understood.

"Ugh, focus," he said to himself as he closed his bedroom door behind him. He noticed his hands were trembling. But there was no time to be nervous. First, he collected the red flight boots from their hiding place in his bed. Then, he took the matchbox from where he'd left it on the mantel.

_If I see a fire outside of this room, I will see that you starve to death._

The Ice Maiden's threat rang hollow. She'd have to catch him before she made him starve.

He started up a fire in the fireplace and grabbed the tongs off the wall to lift a burning, broken piece of wood. This he flung onto his pelt-covered bed before plucking another flaming piece of wood and setting that on the empty dresser. Then, he took the fire poker to prod one of the lit logs out onto the floor, well away from his feet. He waited only till the flames spread to the floorboards before he dropped the fire tool and fled the room, the flight boots in his arms. He ran toward where the corridor met the entrance hall and shouted, "Help! Fire!" without stopping, hoping upon hope that the ice minions would follow his voice and not _him_. He was also counting on them to stop the flames before they spread to vault, figuring that the minions would not let the place burn down.

He glanced over his shoulder, glad to see flickering orange light against the corridor walls as the flames in his room continued to grow.

Kristoff stopped before the mirror hall's open door, popping just his head in so the minion wouldn't see the boots in his hands.

"Um... we have a fiery situation out here!" he yelled in. The ice minion snapped to attention and glided across the hall to meet him at the door like she expected him to come in.

He tried shouting, "Fire!" next. Maybe the ice minions needed simpler communication, because that seemed to work better. She shrieked and flew past him into the entrance hall. He turned to hide the boots behind his back but the ice minion did not look back at him as she rushed toward the sleeping corridor, which by now was packed with both smoke and screeching ice minions.

Kristoff looked out to the main fortress doors, not entirely surprised to find them shut once again. The Ice Maiden wasn't stupid. She wouldn't have made it _that_ easy for him. That left only one other option he could think of. He hurried into the mirror hall, clumsily stuffing his feet into Pabbie's flight boots. He started floating upward before he could tie his boot strings. It took some struggling, but he managed to tie them before he reached the hall ceiling. He pushed off with his left hand, then his right, 'walking' with his hands against the ceiling until he reached one of the high snow-covered windows. His still trembling hands fumbled with the latch. Finally, he undid it and pushed against the window, meeting some resistance from the snow against the glass. He grunted and pushed again, harder this time. But the window wouldn't budge. He swallowed back the rising panic that all of this would have been for naught and did the next best thing he could think of; he _pulled_ at the window, nearly giving himself a gleeful heart attack as it flung inward, the wall of snow falling down into the mirror hall. He burrowed through the last of it, digging out a hole through which he could see the twilight outside. His breath fogged out in front of him as he crawled toward freedom. Once his entire body was outside, he launched himself off of the fortress parapet and nearly screamed as he flew forward, even though he knew the boots would keep him afloat. They even carried him higher into the air as he moved. He glanced down once, the sharp cries of the ice minions still in his ears. He could just barely make out the faint orange glow of the fire.

Then, he looked at the sky around him, searching until he found the North Star. Thanks to the trolls, he knew the night sky... as well as how to navigate by it. With a triumphant look in his eyes, Kristoff put his back to the north. He flew south, heading for Arendelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the delayed update... I'm engaged and house hunting now, so updates will be every 10-15 days now unless I can manage to post sooner. Thanks for reading, commenting, kudos-ing, etc! Let's hope Kristoff doesn't run into the Ice Maiden on his way home... :P


	46. A Welcome Home

They drew shouts when they initially flew out of the forest and over the town of Arendelle. Far below, small townspeople craned their necks back and pointed. Anna glanced across at Princess Kirsten, who seemed to be taking all the attention rather well as she pointed back and waved to her people below. How different this was from the revelation of Elsa's powers. Were the folks below frightened or just surprised?

All the yelling drew more people out of shops and homes. Gradually, the streets of old Arendelle grew crowded.

"Almost home, Your Majesty!" the troll hunter cried, raising his voice to speak over the wind.

For just a moment, Anna forgot that he was not talking to _her_. She'd almost forgotten that this Arendelle was not her home.

"Are you ready?" Hans asked, turning slightly to look at her. His hand had not left hers since they left Judet's. It was a comfort that warmed her even as they flew against the winter winds toward a fate unknown.

"Are you?" she said, trying to be lighthearted.

King Olaf wouldn't like that Anna had led the princess into danger. There was also the fact that a dozen of his men had been slain by a troll. It would be up to Kirsten to placate and persuade him not to blame _all_ trolls. How would the king react to Kirsten's blatant display of power or news of his brother's widow? Anna couldn't imagine. She almost wished that she and Hans could turn back and just stay with the trolls until they could figure out a way back to their own time. But she owed it to her great-great grandmother to see things through.

Kirsten guided them over the bridge to the castle and down into the courtyard, where guards ran amok in a panic, some calling for archers until one recognized Hans, of all people.

"It's the impostor!" the guard yelled in amazement.

Anna sniggered to herself as she felt Hans cringe at the term. To be fair, it was well-chosen.

"And the princess! With the troll hunter!"

No one announced Anna's presence as the four of them descended. It seemed no matter where she went, she was someone of little importance. But as she spotted King Olaf and Queen Elsebet rushing forth from the castle, Anna decided that being invisible might not be a horrible thing for the moment.

Both king and queen looked about ten years older than when she'd last seen them. She quickly realized it was because they hadn't slept and neither were wearing their usual powdery makeup. They both had dark circles under their puffy, wide eyes.

Before Kirsten could dismount after Hansel, her father stepped up and pulled her from her enchanted snowmount, enclosing her in a fierce hug. The queen joined them, holding them both as she wept and weakly pet her daughter's hair.

Anna froze as she watched the scene, unable to move as she saw the princess's face wrinkle up in deeply moved tears. It made her think of her own family, when it was long ago complete. Had she almost destroyed Kirsten's?

"Anna."

Hans gently nudged her, snapping her back to attention. She hopped down so he could join her.

Kirsten sniffled as her father kissed her forehead. She looked from one to the other. "I'm all right."

"You went missing... and when we heard what happened to the men in the forest..." The queen explained, covering her own mouth to silence another sob as she obviously could not continue to speak of Volco's violence.

"There were survivors?" Kirsten asked hopefully.

Her father nodded, staring into the space between them as his thoughts took him over. Then, he turned toward Hans, Anna and Hansel. For the first time, he smiled at Anna.

"Thank you for bringing our child back to us."

The three bowed to the king before they exchanged looks with one another.

"Actually," Hansel said, "The princess is the one you should be thanking."

The king's brow wrinkled in confusion as he turned toward his daughter again. "What happened out there?"

"I'll explain everything," Kirsten said, gently resting her hand upon the king's shoulder.

King Olaf nodded, putting an arm each around his wife and daughter. "We'll talk in the council chamber." Then, turning to one of the guards, he ordered him to make sure no one disrupted them.

"Father," the princess interrupted. King Olaf paused. "I'd like the troll hunter to give his account as well."

King Olaf turned to look at the two men standing beside Anna as though he'd forgotten which one was the true troll hunter. Then, Hansel stepped up.

"Your Highness?" Anna called, anxious about being left out of the discussion. She trusted the princess, but what if they left out some important detail?

"You and Hans should rest. You can wait in the library," the princess said. Anna thought there was a mischievous lilt in Kirsten's voice, but she knew it could have been tiredness playing tricks on her.

Not wanting to appear impertinent by arguing, Anna bowed her head and watched them go.

* * *

Hans had taken one end of the sofa with Anna taking the other. A servant came in to start up the fireplace and then left them in silence, closing the door behind her. It was just the four of them now: Hans, herself, the fire and the quiet.

She cleared her throat in discomfort as she recalled the _last_ time they'd sat like that together in the library. It was a different time now, though. Maybe it was a different Hans too.

Could she believe that? She wanted to.

"You look like you—"

"Do you think—"

They both stopped and looked at each other. His chuckle made her smile.

"I was going to say, you look like you want to say something," he said, speaking gently.

Her stomach flopped. True, there was plenty she wanted to say. But as she had told him, it was difficult to open up when he was warm one moment and closed off the next.

It wasn't fair to her. With that in mind, she shook her head and gazed quietly into the fire. She felt his eyes on her and did her best not to squirm under his gaze. He could stare all he liked. But until he decided to stop being a weirdo, there was no need for them to have a heart-to-heart.

"You know..." he started to speak, but he trailed off with a laugh at the end.

"What?" She looked at him, bewildered.

"It's nothing... I just thought of that stupid song you used to scare off the wolves."

She blushed. "It wasn't stupid. It would have worked against _a_ wolf."

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, startling her. She glared but couldn't help softening as she wondered why he apologized.

"For what?"

Now he was the one who looked uncomfortable.

"I just..."

She knew as soon as he hesitated that whatever came next was _not_ what he was sorry about.

"I know it's not easy to sit in here while they're talking about everything that happened. You were a big part of it. The princess should have invited you along too."

Anna scoffed. "Yeah, well it looked like she had other plans for me."

"Huh?"

Again, she blushed. "...nevermind."

They fell back into more silence during which they both shifted around in their seats. Anna crossed her ankles and tapped her fingers on the armrest while Hans crossed his arms and did neck stretches. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye now and again, but he was staring straight ahead. Minutes ticked by with her glancing around the room. Each time she checked on Hans, he appeared deep in thought.

In a way, she felt guilty. The princess had obviously wanted to give her time alone with him. She should have felt irritated about that, given all Hans had done. Not that Kirsten knew any of that.

Before she could help it, she sighed. _That_ made him look at her.

"Hansel was grateful to Pabbie. He'll speak up for the trolls, don't worry."

"I know," she said. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

The truth was, she couldn't get it out of her head—his admission in Judet's cabin—that he was glad he didn't kiss her when she begged him to because it would have held no meaning. Why say that? What did that even mean?

Would it have any meaning if he kissed her _now_?

 _Why would you even_ think _about that?!_

He behaved strangely that night. As if there were things he wanted to tell her, but couldn't. She wanted to ask him now. But could she bear it if he turned away from her again?

She locked her eyes on his and couldn't find the answer within herself. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words could not come out.

Anna loved Hans. But then, she hated him... only to love him again. They had spent over a week together now. Was that long enough? Was he even capable of love? Would that mean anything, anyway?

No, no. She shouldn't feel a thing. But every time he spoke, every time she saw his face, whether he was being sarcastic or comforting, her heart did little somersaults. All of it was downright _infuriating_.

"Nothing," she lied. And she could tell he knew it, but she didn't care.

No, that was a lie too. She did care. She looked away from him before she could let herself speak her mind. He didn't deserve that, not with all his mixed signals and manipulation... and... and _murder_ attempt!

_God, what is wrong with me?!_

"Hans—"

"Anna—"

They stopped themselves, each not wanting to interrupt the other. A painful heartbeat later, the library door opened and a squealing Kirsten dashed into the room. With that, the moment was lost.

The princess, blind to the atmosphere because of her own excitement, ran up to Anna and clasped at her hands.

"My father wants to make peace with the trolls!" she announced.

Anna stood, her face lighting up over the good news. She looked down towards Hans, smiling. "That's wonderful, Your Highness! He... he's not holding the attack against all of the trolls, then?"

At the mention of the fallen guards, Kirsten's face darkened a bit. But she shook her head in reply. "He praised me for my courage... and he is grateful to you, Hans, for defeating the corrupted troll leader. We told him about the other trolls, like the one who healed Hansel... Pabbie, wasn't it?"

Anna nodded without speaking so as to allow the young girl to continue.

"We explained how the trolls are closely connected to nature and were only trying to protect their home. I... I won't lie to you. When my father heard about their magic and crystals, he was suddenly very eager to meet them. He talked of trade arrangements and establishing official borders. I'm hopeful that this will be the start of a peaceful relationship between our lands."

Anna lightly squeezed Kirsten's hands. "I'm sure it will be!"

"Oh! One thing I forgot to mention," Kirsten winked, "is that he wants to host a ball in honor of the 'four heroes', as he keeps calling us. And he'll invite my aunt Judet to stay at the castle! He had _no_ idea where his brother had gone all these years. They'll have a lot to talk about!"

Anna watched the princess ramble on excitedly, briefly reminded of herself for a moment. Then, Kirsten's announcement actually dawned on her.

"A ball?"

* * *

Elsa stood on the castle doorstep, staring uneasily at the open doors across the courtyard as she wrung her hands together. She frowned as Lord Harald's carriage rode through. His servant—thankfully, not Liam—arrived before him the previous evening to announce his intended visit.

"His Lordship has something urgent he wishes to discuss with you."

Unfortunately, that was all the servant could tell her.

A dark part of her told her that was what she got for having such a peaceful day with Lord Jorn and his family. She should not have let her guard down. Now, perhaps Lord Harald had gotten wind of her private meetings with individual nobles. He would want to know why she had not visited _him_. To send the servant home and deny Lord Harald her audience would just arouse his suspicion.

She would just have to face him... she only had to decide whether to call him out or to play innocent herself.

Dare she hope that Lady Cathrine was right that Lord Harald had no interest in ruling? Anything was possible. But that was little comfort when the carriage rolled to a stop and the driver climbed down to open the carriage door for his lord.

Harald stepped down and walked briskly toward her after giving a proper bow. Elsa agonized over the purpose of his visit as he drew nearer. Something dark moved frantically across the courtyard cobblestones. It moved like the shadow of a clumsy bird. Then, a loud cry made both her and Lord Harald look upward.

The queen used her and to shield her eyes from the blaring morning sunlight as she tried to make out the... person? Yes, it was clearly a person flying back and forth in the air. Their red boots caught her eye first and so she didn't notice the rest of him right away. When she realized it was _Kristoff_ in the sky, she nearly fell over from shock.

The ice harvester shouted at the people in the courtyard as he struggled to remove one of his boots. When it was off, he dropped it. It nearly hit one of the stunned guards on the head.

"Sorry!" Kristoff shouted down at the cursing guard who gestured quite rudely up at the 'flying fool'.

Elsa suspected the boots were enchanted when suddenly, Kristoff's body fell downwards so that he was only hanging mid-air by the one boot remaining on his foot. He yelped and flailed his arms, circling just above the courtyard like he was swimming upside down.

"Look ooouuuut!" He shouted as he came dangerously close to knocking into several guards.

"Your Majesty," she heard Harald try to get her attention, but her guards were drawing their weapons.

"Don't hurt him!" She swept past Harald, who desperately jabbered on about a discovery he needed to bring to her attention at once. But Elsa had eyes only for Kristoff as he fought to remove the other boot.

The guards hung back as the queen flew towards Kristoff to help steady him. With her assistance, he was able to remove the other boot. Before he could fall head-first to the courtyard ground, Elsa helped right him so that he could land on his two feet.

Kristoff let out a relieved sigh, though he was still flushed from hanging upside down. Before he could catch his breath, the queen threw her arms around him in a grip that sucked the air out of him. He felt cold and hot all at once in her arms... and he was sure that the contact did nothing to help the redness of his face.

"Y-Y-Your Majesty!" he said, unsure of whether to hug back or just stay as still as possible. He'd thought she would be furious that he had set off on his own.

He hadn't expected...this.

Elsa released him when she heard his teeth chatter. She forced herself to calm down.

"Where have you been?! You're alone? Where's Sven?"

The ice harvester struggled with where to begin. But before he could figure out an answer, Lord Harald was upon them.

"Your Majesty. I must insist that we speak privately... now would be best."

It took all her father's training for Elsa not to roll her eyes at the man. That was when she realized that she felt braver now that Kristoff had returned.

"I found her, Elsa," Kristoff said, apparently forgetting formalities even as Lord Harald shot him a nasty glare. "I found the Ice Maiden."

Lord Harald tried to interject yet again. "Your Majesty, _please_."

"Enough!" Elsa snapped, although she appeared calm and collected. "Lord Harald, this man's return takes precedence for the moment. You may wait in the library."

The noble turned down his mouth, but he had the decency not to argue. He left them, shaking his head as he retreated toward the castle.

With everyone else keeping a respectful distance, Elsa was free from distraction enough now to notice how weak the ice harvester looked.

"I can see you've had a rough journey," she said. "And... forgive me for saying so, but you look dirtier than usual."

Kristoff turned pink. He could only imagine how wretchedly he must smell too. Yet the queen had hugged him! Nevertheless, he mumbled his apology.

"You said you found the Ice Maiden? Was Anna with her?"

Kristoff hated to disappoint her as he shook his head. "No. But it's a good thing. The Ice Maiden's much worse than we thought. I... saw things that she did."

The way he spoke drew Elsa's careful attention. She could see in his eyes the look of someone who'd been imprisoned. She knew that look well enough from her own experience, even if she'd been the one to lock herself away. At least she'd had the power to free herself. She could tell that Kristoff had not been so sure he would escape.

"I want to hear everything. But you need to eat and wash first." He started to object, of course. "That's an order. Besides... you owe me for running off without a word."

At that, Kristoff's mouth shut and he looked at her in exasperation.

"I'll eat," he relented. "But the bath can wait until after I've told you everything."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super irritated with FFnet right now because a.) no email notifications went out for this chapter and b.) it hasn't shown up with other updated Frozen stories. Not only that, but their support team/person (how many people run that site, anyway?) never responded when I sent an inquiry about it. :/ Lame-o. 
> 
> On a lighter note, this was fun to write because of all the Hansanna and Kristelsa. More of that to come. Thanks for reading!


	47. The Urgent News

Kristoff looked from the empty plate before him to the silver platter of lefse, cheese, meats and jams next to it. His stomach gurgled with joy and he had to swallow back the drool at the meal placed in front of him. The food was a sight for sore eyes and his stomach that had feasted on nothing but meat and berries over the last few days.

It was just a little difficult to enjoy his breakfast with the sense of urgency looming over him. There was so much to tell the queen. And yet, it didn't feel like enough.

He now knew where the Ice Maiden resided, but not how to defeat her. He knew she seemed to fear the truth mirror, yet she was trying to put its shards back together. He knew Hans was somehow connected to the Ice Maiden, but Kristoff hadn't found any clue to Anna's whereabouts. Overall, it was a mixed bag of news to share.

Still, Elsa wanted him to eat. So, he would eat.

He hastily picked up a lefse, spread some cheese over it and rolled it up with his fingertips. Then, almost on the verge of drooling again, he drew it up to his mouth. He was just about to take a bite when he noticed the pair of tense, crystal-blue eyes beside him, staring.

"Your Majesty..."

"What is it? Do you want something else to eat?" she asked, looking back and forth between the ice harvester and his plate with growing concern.

"It's just... a little hard to eat with someone staring at me like that."

He watched her cheeks turn a delicate shade of pink. Had he just made the snow queen _blush_? He chuckled to himself.

Yeah, right.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Elsa said, staring instead at the dining table now. "I um... a lot's happened since you left. I've been trying to get to know the aristocracy better."

Kristoff chewed on the lefse and took a content swig of milk to wash it down, making sure his mouth was empty before he replied.

"How's that going? I saw Lord Harald is still hovering around."

Elsa let out a strained laugh. "Yes... that's partly why I began meeting with the others, trying to... well, befriend them, I suppose. They called a meeting a few days ago."

Kristoff had been about to take another bite, but he paused first to ask, "What kind of meeting?" He didn't wait to take another sip of milk as he waited for Elsa to explain.

"They think I should get married."

Kristoff almost choked. "G-get _married_?!"

The pink returned to Elsa's cheeks as she avoided his eyes. "Um... or at least betrothed, yes... to one of them, I think, or some other politically advantageous prospect."

"And you're fine with that?"

"Of course not! But I couldn't say 'no' outright, not with all the tensions..."

Kristoff wrinkled his brow. He'd thought the castle staff agreed to keep the Ice Maiden's attack secret after the missing prince and princess had probably caused a stir, but Elsa made it sound like there was more.

"The meeting wasn't exactly random," Elsa explained with a little cough. "A couple of nights before, someone..." She faltered, anger prickling at her as she thought of the unknown culprit dragging Kai out of the storage room to display for the townspeople to see. Her guilt over Kai was heavy enough without whispers from her own people that _she_ might have cursed her manservant. Somehow, she got through telling Kristoff about Liam and the unpleasant conversation with Harald. When she was finished, Kristoff pushed his plate away and groaned.

"It had to be Lord Harald."

"I thought so too at first," Elsa admitted. "But I'm not sure."

"The man's been slithering about since Hans disappeared. It's like he's waiting for the next thing to go wrong so he can swoop in and take charge."

Elsa couldn't argue with that. "Lady Cathrine doesn't believe that Harald _wants_ to rule." She suddenly remembered that the lord in question was still waiting for her in the library. His servant had said the visit was urgent... and Lord Harald _had_ seemed desperate to speak with her.

She felt bad, but the last time Lord Harald had an emergency was when Kai was discovered out in the courtyard. She could only fear what he'd have to say this time.

"Well, we have even bigger things to worry about."

Kristoff reached in his pocket and pulled out something small, which he laid down on the table.

Elsa stared. "What is it?"

"Do you remember the 'truth mirror' Grand Pabbie talked about?"

The queen slowly nodded. After a second, she jumped out of her seat and leaned over the table to get a better look at the shard he'd put down. "The one they used to send Anna to Hans?!"

Kristoff nodded. "The Ice Maiden has a collection of shards like this. She's trying to piece them together to make the original mirror whole again."

Elsa hesitated, looking torn between hope and bewilderment. Eventually, she said, "Why?"

"I didn't get the chance to find out." But he shared what else he learned, like how the Ice Maiden seemed obsessed with the mirror's power. Yet she doesn't seem able to touch the mirror directly anymore, or at least not long enough to make the mirror whole herself. That, at least, seemed to be why she assigned the task to him.

He told Elsa about the visions the shards showed him while he worked on the mirror. It'd all been strange bits and pieces of the past.

Alarmed, the queen sat beside him, glancing at the shard as she spoke. "Kristoff... Grand Pabbie said that the mirror could drive people mad. You probably shouldn't have touched it."

"I didn't have a choice, Your Majesty. Anyway, I don't _feel_ mad."

Elsa thought she saw the surface of the mirror fragment glimmer with faint light. She looked away, afraid of it. Kristoff's voice made her look towards him again, relieved by the distraction.

"Truth be told, it kind of felt like something was protecting me the whole time," he said. He stared off thoughtfully for a moment.

The queen was on the verge of telling him about her protection charm when the ice harvester continued.

"The Ice Maiden is up to something. For whatever reason, she's collecting all these pieces to try and put them together. Now that I'm gone, she'll need someone else to work on her puzzle for her. But I think these mirror shards can also be used against her."

"Oh?" Elsa tried to rein in her impatience. All she wanted was to take the shard to Grand Pabbie.

Kristoff looked at her, taking her by surprise with the haunted look in his gentle eyes. "I've seen her kill for these fragments in the visions. She'll eventually come looking for this one, I think. We need to be ready for her when she does."

Elsa bit her lip. _Who knows when that could be? Does he expect me to just sit and wait?!_

"Kristoff..." she said. "We can use this to find Anna. Grand Pabbie knows how to use it, right?"

He frowned. "I don't want my family put in danger. If we bring this to them, it could draw the Ice Maiden again."

Elsa sat back in her seat, half ashamed of herself and half furious with Kristoff. But... putting herself in his place, she understood. She wouldn't want to place Anna in danger either.

Determined to change the subject, she asked, "Where's Sven?"

Only, it seemed exactly the wrong question to ask. The ice harvester paused, gazing quietly at his food as he processed her question. Then he shuddered, choking up over the memory of his friend's sacrifice.

"It's... it's okay, Kristoff," she spoke gently, leaning over to put an arm over his trembling back. "You can tell me what happened."

It took a lot out of him, but he did tell her. From the robbers to the journey to the Ice Maiden's fortress, to finding all the ice sculptures in the Ice Maiden's vault and having to leave Sven behind. He wept with guilt. If only he had taken Sven with him, perhaps Elsa could have thawed him.

"But we don't know that. It might have made it worse. What if he just melted on the way?" Elsa asked, hating to see him like this.

But the thought of Sven melting just made Kristoff let out a louder sob.

"Shh," she whispered. Without quite knowing what she was doing before she did it, Elsa slid her hand up to his hair and gently pet him as her other hand held his cheek. Kristoff sat as still as he could manage, still shivering as the queen lightly kissed the tears away from his cheeks. Her lips felt like snowflakes on his skin.

Shocked out of his wits, Kristoff stared at Elsa as she pulled away.

The queen, realizing what she had just done, brought one hand to her mouth and stared back, speechless.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when Anna found herself staring down her gown options for the evening's ball. Each dress was ridiculously puffy, though the colors were nice enough. The first was a lovely red, the second ivory and the last a pearly blue. She would need help getting into any of them, whichever she chose.

"How can you have a same-day ball anyway?" she thought aloud. Wouldn't the king and queen have to send out invitations? Then again, old Arendelle was much smaller than her Arendelle.

There was a knock at the adjoining door. It would be Hans.

Anna debated not opening it. But he knocked again.

She told herself it'd be silly not to open it, though her hand shook a little as she reached for the door handle. "I'm busy here. What is it?" she asked as she opened the door. Not that she was dismissing him, just... well, she was still pretty confused by their previous conversation.

Hans looked past her with a raised eyebrow. Then, he spotted the dresses.

"You should go with the blue. It matches your eyes."

Anna could only gawk at him for saying something so charming.

As if he just realized it himself, Hans cleared his throat. He quickly said, "One thing I'm going to have to get used to about this time period is the horrendous fashion. If they think I'm going to wear a wig this evening, they have another thing coming."

At first, Anna chortled at the mental picture of Hans in a powdered wig. Then his comment actually hit her and she frowned.

"You still intend to stay here then?"

He surprised her by smiling, although there was something sad in his face.

"Do you want me to go back with you?"

Anna almost fell over at the question. There was... something in the way that he asked. Was it truly what he was asking?

"If... if we can find a way back—"

"Do you _want me to_?"

She blushed at his frank interruption, preparing some sharp response. But as she looked up at him and the raw look on his face, she stopped herself. It looked like his heart depended on her answer.

Bewildered, she had to take a step back both literally and emotionally.

"Hans, there's something going on with you. More that you're not telling me. I can feel it."

He just stood there, silent as a ghost. Starting to feel as though she'd said the wrong thing, Anna quickly continued.

"Yes, I want you to go back with me where we belong. But... only if you tell me the truth. No more games, no more lies—"

"I _want_ to tell you everything."

"So tell me," she blurted out, more frustrated than ever.

All the words were there. She could see the truth on the tip of his tongue. But his mouth shut as he looked at her helplessly. Something held him back.

"Ugh, what is it?! Guilt? Fear? What?!"

"I thought I could do this, but it seems like too tall an order to fill. You're better off going home without me."

Anna was stunned. Shocked. Furious. How dare _he_ come in here as if he wanted to talk to her. How dare he ask if she wanted him to go back with her, when he just planned to let her down again. How could he toy with her like this?

"Get out."

She watched the surprise on his face at her trembling, angry order. He hesitated for all of one second... and then he was gone, the door shutting behind him.

Anna stormed past the ball gowns and stopped at her bed where she fell upon her pillows and cried.

And cried.

* * *

The queen stared at the ice harvester, and he simply stared back. A minute passed in silence, maybe more or less than that. To Elsa, it felt like an eternity, for her cheeks felt like they'd caught on fire.

What had she been thinking? More importantly, what was _he_ thinking now? She was stunned by her impulsive behavior. He could only be flabbergasted.

In all truth, she hadn't thought at all. The man, a man she happened to care for and had been setting up daily protecting reinforcements for, fell apart in front of her and it just seemed natural to comfort him. So, she'd gotten a little carried away. As she tried to go back and relive her emotions of the moment, all she could recall was the urge to ease his pain.

So... she just felt sorry for him, right?

Even so... she was a queen. He was an ice harvester. What was she thinking?

She made a sound but cut herself off as she tried to think of a way to explain her impulse. First, she would have to apologize. Then she'd have to explain herself very clearly. It wouldn't do for him to misunderstand.

Finally, she worked up just enough courage to speak again when the two of them heard a piercing scream from elsewhere in the palace. They exchanged a single glance before they both jumped out of their chairs and ran from the dining hall. Elsa immediately caught sight of a few running servants at the opposite end of the hall. She followed them all the way to the library, dread building up within her with every step.

Elsa had to push past several servants to reach the center of the room, where she found a guard knelt next to a fallen Lord Harald. Foam dripped from the corner of the noble's mouth.

She gasped and began to turn away, but forced herself to be steady. This was not something she could run from.

"What happened?" she asked the guard. "Is he...?"

The guard removed his glove to feel for Lord Harald's pulse. Then he looked up at Elsa. "Alive, but barely."

"Get him to a guest room, quickly. Someone send for the doctor."

Another guard stepped forward to assist the one with lifting Lord Harald. Elsa stepped out of the way so that they could carry him out the door. She looked back, meeting Kristoff's eyes. Her heart hammered against her chest as reality sank in.

What just happened?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp! Anna's not having a great time, but the Kristelsa moments were fun to write. Alas, they all have issues. 


	48. The Last Dance

Anna walked into the great hall alive with festive music and celebration, reminded of her sister's coronation ball as laughing guests joined hands and danced in two interweaving lines at the center of the room. The setup was much the same. A trio of musicians—a pianist, clarinetist and violinist—played out of the way in one of the sections between two pillars. Chandeliers twinkled overhead, their little flames giving the vaulted ceiling a golden glow.

She turned her head toward the front of the hall, eyeing the king and queen on their thrones. King Olaf nodded his head to her, prompting her to wave. Someone called her name across the floor covered with dancers. She looked in time to see the princess break free from her dance partner, who frowned at being abandoned at a moment when partners circled each other palm-to-palm.

Anna giggled at Kirsten's unselfconscious energy as the white-haired girl smiled, dodging gliding couples in her path.

"You look _amazing_!"

Anna looked down at her ball gown, which wasn't hers of course, but on loan from the castle. The dress was too large to be Kirsten's. Maybe it was Elsebet's. Then again, Anna doubted the queen would lend a dress to just anyone. Or would she? Regardless, it was the blue one that Hans had recommended, not that he had anything to do with her selection.

Inwardly, she groaned at herself.

"Heh, thanks!" She smiled, feeling weighted by the intricate layers of strawberry-blonde waves and braids atop her head. On Kirsten's insistence, Anna had allowed the servants to style her hair to fit the 'current fashion'. The result was a flowery mess of tendrils, in Anna's opinion. Strangest to her were the pearls dangled across the very top mass on her head, which still was short compared to what some of the women at the ball had done to their hair. Anna was grateful that Kirsten hadn't suggested hair extensions. Kirsten herself had a rather simple hairstyle and gown by comparison.

 _Lucky_ , Anna thought.

Just then, a wigged servant passed behind Kirsten, a silver tray balanced at head-level as he moved cautiously around the dancing section of the floor. Anna sniffed and stared after him, drooling over the alluring scents of rosettes, krumkraker and...

"Chocolate!" she exclaimed along with Kirsten.

The girls exchanged startled looks before breaking into giggles.

"Shall we?" Anna suggested, gesturing in the direction of the food table. Just a couple of weeks ago, she would have been equally excited about the dancing and the prospect of encountering a charming potential suitor.

But look where that had gotten her.

"Ah! I see Hansel is helping himself to the gløgg!" Kirsten pointed out the famous troll hunter gulping down the dark alcohol as they walked to another section along the wall where two long tables displayed dish upon dish of small appetizers and desserts. Hansel caught sight of them and awkwardly set his empty glass back on the end of one table as if he didn't want to imbibe in front of them.

"It was generous of His Majesty to hold this celebration," Hansel said, bowing to Kirsten. Then, a strangely bright expression crossed his face as he looked out upon the dancing. "I wish my wife could be here."

Anna recalled the wife's letter that had fallen out of Hansel's log.

"You have children?"

Hansel nodded. "Three girls, two boys... I miss the lot of 'em."

"Will you go back to Grimmstad after this?" Kirsten asked. Anna realized the princess was carefully shifting the topic for Hansel's benefit. The man had a misty look in his eyes. How long had it been since he'd seen his family? Did he think, as Volco's hostage, that he'd never see them again?

"Well..." He turned toward Anna. "You saw my hunt log, didn't you?"

Anna nodded, trying not to grimace. _The troll of Grimmstad, the wolfman of Tyr, the griffin of Corona... so many._ How many of them deserved to be slain, if any?

"I think it might be time for me to retire. I could find work... closer to home, of course..." Hansel murmured. It sounded as if he were talking more to himself than to the two of them.

"Your family would be glad of that!" Anna said for encouragement.

Hansel nodded, the sullenness around him lifting as he looked more determined about going home. He stepped around the two girls to pick up a little plate of berries and cheese before he waved to them.

"Thanks for everything, Your Highness and Miss Anna. When I see my children, I'll tell them all about the brave girls who rescued me and the kingdom."

Kirsten nodded her approval as they watched him leave. When he was out of listening range, she picked up a small plate herself and popped a few berries into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

"I wonder what he'll do now."

Anna shrugged, casually picking up a piece of chocolate for herself. "It sounds like his troll hunter days are over."

"His children will be glad to have him home," Kirsten added. Anna couldn't help but notice as the girl glanced across the great hall to her parents sitting on their thrones. The king and queen had their arms held out, holding hands between their chairs.

"Your parents have changed too," Anna observed.

Kirsten smiled. "Yes... it's so strange. All my life, the three of us have had a very strained relationship..."

 _I know what you mean_ , Anna thought, thinking of her sister.

"I never felt I could be totally open with them. Even before my magic came to light," the princess explained. She turned her head toward Anna. "But that all changed when you came to Arendelle."

Anna gave her a sheepish look. She'd seen for herself how worried the king and queen had been over their daughter's absence. Really, she was lucky that the blame had not been put on her. The princess spoke again, breaking Anna's distraction.

"You've shown me that it's worth opening up to people, even when you're not sure that they'll accept you."

"Well... I'm glad I could do that, Your Highness." Anna welled up with emotion, grateful to have gotten to know her great-great-grandmother. As much as she didn't want to, she couldn't help but feel that she had failed to show Hans the same thing.

Right on cue to the thought, a dark navy jacket and head of auburn on the other side of the dancing caught Anna's eye as she watched Hans head out to a balcony. Kirsten's elbow gently nudged her.

"Go on, Anna. Show _him_ too."

She tried to smile at Kirsten's confidence, but it wasn't as though she hadn't tried to win Hans's trust several times now. There was only so much disappointment her heart could take.

"As your friend, I'm telling you that you should talk to Hans. As a princess, I order you to."

Anna raised her eyebrow for a second, shaking her head with a small laugh.

"Well, I can't say 'no' to the _princess_..."

_Or my great-great-grandmother._

She ate another chocolate first, for luck.

* * *

It was a familiar scene, Hans sitting on the balcony railing—though with it being winter, there were no flowers dangling overhead, and she was suddenly grateful for all the insulating layers of her ridiculous gown.

The prince faced the night sky, but he turned as he sensed her arrival.

"Anna."

He sounded...tired. But it could have just been part of his effort to keep her away.

Anna sighed and stalked up to him, making a concerted effort to sit down next to him, only it was very difficult to do in the gown she was wearing. Finally, she settled for just leaning there instead, catching the slightest spark of amusement in his green eyes.

Well, at least that was something to go on.

"This night reminds me of the coronation," she said at last. When Hans sighed, she put a hand up to stop him. "No, please hear me out. The façade you showed to me initially... I've been struggling to figure out whether what I really felt for that person was, in fact, love. It's sort of a hard thing to know if you've never felt it before. Anyway, recently I realized that it didn't really matter anymore. Although it was just over a week ago, we're like two different people now."

"I suppose so."

"I know you haven't given me the full story. Your full story. For whatever reason."

Again, he started to object, so she shushed him.

"That's okay. We've been through a lot together, you and I. At some point, without realizing it, I'd forgiven you. And I care for you... very much." He cast his eyes downward and shifted uncomfortably, but he had the courtesy not to interrupt this time. "So, whatever it is... whatever you can't tell me, I just hope that you'll be able to share it with me _one_ day."

That made him look up.

"For you, my door is always open," she added, chuckling at the awkwardness of it. But she hoped he would understand.

From his wide-eyed speechlessness, it looked like he did. Unless he was misinterpreting the metaphor. What else could a door be? She blushed and nearly slapped herself for over-analyzing.

"Because you know, doors. Openness. Honesty. Being welcome. Open doors. I..."

The corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"You get it. I think... oh boy, that was... heh, anyway." She patted and brushed invisible crumbs away from her gown as a sudden distraction before she stood. Between her heavy gown and hair, not to mention shoes she wasn't used to, rising was no easy feat. She swayed a little until she found her balance. Then, she gave Hans one last smile, surprised by the strength she felt. Rightfully, she should have been nervous, nervous because his face was so blank that there was no telling how he received her guts just now. She'd most certainly spilled all of them. She'd poured her heart out completely and it may as well have been to a wall. A gorgeous, heart-breaking wall.

She breathed in, tucked her chin up and gracefully left the balcony to return to the ball.

A cheerful song played as she stepped back into the crowd. It came to an abrupt end before a slower, emotional piece began, the piano taking the lead. The people around her partnered up, leaving an empty space around her as the pairs joined hands and began to dance.

A hand touched her shoulder, making her turn to find Hans behind her. He offered his hand.

Was it her imagination or did the room just get brighter?

Smiling, Anna accepted his invitation and, hand in hand, they joined the dancing couples. With her hand in his and the other on his shoulder, they breezed across the hall floor. Everyone else seemed to disappear as she spun and stepped with him, the music more powerful than any magic. The violin broke into its own heartbreaking segment, still accompanied by the softer piano. To Anna, the two sounds seemed to dance together.

In one unexpected movement, Hans pulled her close, cradling her rather unconventionally in his arms as they swayed to the gentle melody.

"Promise you'll remember me."

She wasn't sure she'd heard right. She tried to wriggle away to be able to look Hans in the eye, but he just squeezed her.

"The one that danced and sang with you and the trolls. Not the coward that left you for dead. Not the puppet who tried to kill your sister."

"Puppet?" she asked, growing more startled. "Hans, what are you—"

"I wanted to go back with you, Anna. But she'll be here soon and I don't think I can stop myself, much less her."

"She, who? You're scaring me!" she snapped, trying to keep her voice low even though the other dancers had probably already noticed Hans's peculiar break from the traditional dance. Again, she tried to push him back so she could look at him directly—and failed.

"Don't stop being you. Whether you make it home or not. The world is a cold place, Anna, believe me. Sing and laugh and keep thawing the hearts of those around you."

Was he trying to say goodbye? Who was the _she_ he mentioned?

Anna grabbed his arms on her and pulled herself away from him just enough to look up and glare. But her face softened a bit when she met his eyes.

"I just want to thaw _your_ heart."

Just as he started to smile at that, a howling wind blew all the balcony doors into the hall. Glass shattered as the doors smacked against the walls. A fierce, wintry blast snuffed out all the candlelight, leaving the guests to shriek and cower in confusion.

Anna looked around, frantic from the commotion around her. "What happened?!" She felt Hans's arms loosen and slip away from her, leaving her cold as she could barely see him in the hall now only lit by cold moonlight.

Gasps drew Anna's gaze to the balcony doors, where a section of the crowd backed away in fright. As they cleared away, Anna could make out a ghostly white woman standing in the middle doorway. Her hair was colorless, like Kirsten's and Elsa's. Anna recognized the woman immediately. But what disturbed her was that the Ice Maiden's eyes locked onto Hans, who now inched away to put distance between himself and Anna.

"Hans?" she called to him, noticing the way he stared at the Ice Maiden, remembering his strange behavior over the illustration of the woman. "Do you know her?"

Hans didn't answer. Instead, he looked as if in a trance, gazing upon the Ice Maiden like he'd just stumbled upon the world's greatest treasure.

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

Anna heard various whispers throughout the hall.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Who is she?"

"She looks like the princess!"

"Don't step on the broken glass."

Confused, Anna stepped up to Hans and touched his arm. He shook her off with a snarl.

"Hans, what's _wrong_?! Wait, where are you going?"

The prince put his back to her and moved toward the Ice Maiden, distinct longing in his eyes. Anna watched this in helpless horror, confused by the sudden change in him. She thought back to the dreams she'd had about the woman, as well as the warnings from Hansel's hunt log.

One thing was for sure. The woman was dangerous, and Hans himself said he didn't have control over himself. So, Anna grabbed Hans's arm to try and hold him back.

The Ice Maiden didn't like that. She disliked it so much that she conjured up an ice spear and hurtled it up toward the ceiling. It happened so fast, Anna could barely process it. Guests screamed. Anna looked up. The chandelier over her was falling, crashing, coming down. More screams pierced her ears. She knew she had to move.

Move. Move out of the way. Move.

But Anna looked at Hans and roughly pushed him away from herself.

There was a loud crack following the crash. Everything hurt. There was Hans's face; his green eyes panicked.

Then she saw nothing, dimly aware of how cold the floor felt against her cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY, cliffhangers are bad, I know. Sorrynotsorry. So, the Ice Maiden finally turns up for Hans.
> 
> Life is still insaaaanely busy. I will shoot to outline the next chapter next week. I am moving later this month though, so unfortunately I can't guarantee the date for the next update. I will do the best I can. Thank you for reading, commenting, etc. :D


	49. The First Kiss

While the Southern Isles rarely suffered the blizzards sometimes blown across the northern kingdoms, the region saw unusually frigid temperatures after the winter solstice of 1825. By Christmas, the cold front had blanketed the shorelines with snow. Accumulations more inland aggravated farmers and traders who were not used to feet upon feet of it. Yes, a few inches were to be expected and were perfectly manageable, but working to clear the roads between markets every few hours after each fresh snowfall became a task even children were asked to take to.

Finally, just before the turn of the new year, the snow stopped.

But the interruption to normal life still required the royal family to enlist aid from other kingdoms. Corona and Arendelle sent crates of food to counterbalance those stores depleted by the panic. In exchange, the Southern Isles would give each of them one of the warships its navy was renown for. There was initially talk of arranging engagements between a few of the young princes and the daughters of the aiding kingdoms. But when the Arendelle monarchs seemed inexplicably reluctant and the Coronan princess herself went missing, King Graham and Queen Marianne decided that perhaps the engagements were just not meant to be.

This news was well-received by the eight princes playing in the castle grounds' snow on New Year's Day. None of them had welcomed the idea of an engagement when their five eldest siblings were already serving or training to serve in their father's navy.

The four feet of snow to sled, tunnel through and pelt at each was, however, very much welcome.

Robert and Peter, the older twins, proclaimed themselves "too old" at seventeen to join in snowball fighting. But Felix, just a year younger than them, didn't seem to mind playing along with his younger brothers. The younger twins—Samuel and Daniel—sort of took charge, dividing the six of them into two teams. They quickly claimed their favorite, Hans, for their team; this left Felix, Eric and Emil on the other side of the courtyard turned battleground.

They played for a few hours, having never had so much snow to play with. The twins were rather brutal in their snowball playing and when Emil had finally had enough of their targeting him, he concocted a plan to gang up on Daniel with his team.

Little Hans, not quite nine years old yet, was the one to notice the light snowfall first. Felix came up from behind his youngest brother, readying a snowball to splat in Hans's freckly face before the younger boy cried out.

"Hans?" Felix called, dropping the snowball as he came up beside him.

Hans bent his auburn head, one hand clutching his left eye. He hadn't heard Felix, or at least didn't seem to notice him.

"You get snow in your eye, buddy?" Felix asked with a light laugh as he looked up to see the flurries fall. It was too light to warrant concern.

Hans didn't reply though. That was a little concerning.

"Hey, are you al—"

"Enough already, I'm fine!" the boy snapped. His outburst completely stunned the older brother, who watched speechlessly as Hans ran off and abandoned the game.

Bewildered, Felix did not notice in time to escape the snowball aimed at the side of his head. He scowled upon its impact and wiped the cold fluffiness off his ear, still staring after Hans even as Daniel ran up to him.

"How did you not see that coming?!" Daniel chuckled. When Felix did not look at him, he followed his older brother's gaze toward small Hans storming back to the castle. "What's wrong with him?"

Felix hesitated. The youngest prince was perpetually warm and affectionate with his immediate family. He wasn't one to snap over little things; Felix had seen the twins tickle him to giggling tears and even when some of the middle brothers teased him, Hans just found innocent ways to get back at them. Was something else bothering the boy?

"I don't know."

* * *

It was spring by the time Felix worked up the courage to tell his mother. He'd given his youngest brother the benefit of a doubt at first. But several quitting tutors, tantrums and troubled servants' gossip later, Felix knew it needed to be addressed.

Father was out of the question. There was no telling when his melancholia would erupt in another of his violent fits. Besides, the king barely recognized his youngest sons, having even claimed—in one of his episodes—that Hans and the twins might not even be his.

It wasn't always that bad, but it'd gotten a lot worse in the new year.

Mother dealt with it in her own way, burying herself in legislature, trade agreements, letters and other paperwork; it was all an excuse to shut herself away in the study, away from the sons who reminded her daily of the man she had lost to madness. There was talk that perhaps one day the king would work himself up into a riot so volatile that he'd give himself a fatal stroke. Then, Bjorne would be king and all of the paperwork and signatures would be his responsibility.

Until then, the queen did the bulk of it.

One May morning, Felix went to the study after breakfast. As expected, the queen was already there working.

Felix winced at the annoyance that crossed the queen's face when he knocked to announce his presence. His mother had once been a much gentler woman, always lighting the room with her smile. But she didn't smile much these days.

Queen Marianne calmed when she saw it was one of her sons, not a servant, who interrupted her. She set her steel nib down and folded her hands upon the desk. "Come in, Felix," she welcomed him with a neutral tone. "I'm in the middle of a lot right now, so please keep this brief."

"Yes, Mother... err—it's about Hans..."

The queen raised her eyebrow.

"Something is wrong with him..."

After assuring her that he did not mean that his youngest brother was injured or physically ill, Felix began to describe the series of events that roused his concerns.

"...he snaps for no reason, has lied to his tutors, terrorized the servants..."

Some of this his mother was already aware of. She was the one who interviewed each tutor who came to replace the last. Each time it was hoped that the hired applicant would have the patience of a saint. But Hans's pranks never failed to drive them off. The worst Felix could recall was the second tutor—out of four now—who woke up one morning to his bedroom floor covered in honey, which had attracted flies overnight.

The queen sat in pensive silence for a moment, her green eyes fixated on some invisible point between herself and her eighth child.

"I have noticed myself that Hans is not the sweet boy he used to be," she admitted. Felix thought he saw a longing on her face. "He doesn't come running to hug me anymore. He doesn't ask me to tell him stories before bed." Then, she chuckled and waved her hand to dismiss the thought. "But you're forgetting he's growing up among twelve older brothers. You're a middle son, so you wouldn't understand, but... he probably doesn't want to be seen as weak."

Felix did his best not to roll his eyes. This wasn't about weakness. The change was too drastic for it to be that. Besides, neither he nor any of the others wanted Hans to grow up any faster than he had to.

"Even if that's the case, I've seen him bully the twins. I'm afraid if this keeps up, it will cause a rift between him and the rest of us..."

"You're not all angels either, Felix," she snapped, her eyes ablaze.

Felix immediately held his tongue. Clearly, she was growing impatient with the subject... or did she favor Hans that much?

The queen surprised him a little when she stood and walked around her desk to take his face in her hands. She placed a kiss on his forehead and said, "I'm sorry. My son... you're only looking out for Hans, I know. Promise me you always will."

* * *

It wasn't his fault that the other children avoided him. Hans had his brothers to thank for that. It didn't even bother him all that much except that his mother seemed increasingly exasperated with him. All he wanted was to pocket a few pieces of taffy and slink back off to his room unnoticed. But his mother must have been watching him, for she blocked his path to the door and sent him right back into the jaws of the party.

"This is an opportunity, dear. You need some playmates besides your brothers," she said, her firm hand on his back pushing him back into their grand hall.

Hans would have sulked if he weren't sure her eyes were on his back. What was the point in celebrating Hallowe'en? He gave a sidelong glare at the youngest children, children of the same age as him, carving ghoulish faces into turnips and potatoes. Did such things really frighten off evil spirits?

 _Tch. There's no such thing as evil_ , he thought. He hoped.

Hans couldn't help noticing all the space around him. Between his family, the servants and the guests, the hall was absolutely crammed full of people. Yet anyone who passed him seemed to leave an excessive amount of space between him and their person. He would have taken this to heart if he recognized all of them, but some were strangers—unless his brothers had gotten to them before he could even make their acquaintance.

A familiar chuckle caught his ear and he turned his head to find Samuel and Daniel with Emil, making up their usual trio. Well, if he was going to be forced to stay at the party, he might as well stick to the people he knew whether his mother liked it or not. Hopefully she would hone in on another of his siblings to pester.

The twins had their backs turned toward him as he approached, so it was Emil who first noticed him. The tenth prince trailed off and frowned, gesturing his head to alert the twins. As they turned, they scowled when they spotted Hans.

"What do you want?" Daniel asked. Samuel just looked around the rest of the room, averting eye contact with their little brother.

Hans coughed and stepped around Daniel to stand between him and Emil since Samuel clearly didn't want him near.

"Mother won't let me leave... she wants me to make friends..."

Emil sniggered at that.

Dark rage coiled in Hans's gut, but a warning look from Samuel cut Emil's laugh short. Just like that, the rage was gone. Hans took a deep breath, hoping his brothers hadn't noticed.

"So why don't you go make some friends?" Daniel asked dismissively.

"...you know why."

Emil sighed at his brother's reply. "You brought it upon yourself, you know."

Hans was worried that the rage would come back, but instead, he just felt hurt. "I know. I'm sorry. Can I just stay with you three until the party's over? Please..."

Samuel opened his mouth to object, but Daniel cut him off.

"Fine. You can join us. But we're not staying."

Hans did not miss the look of confusion on the other twin's face. Even Emil looked puzzled.

"Where are you going...? Someone will notice if we leave," Hans whispered so a servant passing with appetizers could not hear.

Samuel did not look happy about the idea, but Daniel and Emil appeared to have a silent conversation which resulted in Emil's reply.

"You want to stick with us, right?" he asked.

Hans hesitated, wondering if it was a trick question. When he nodded, Emil clapped him on the shoulder.

"Good. Then act natural and follow us to the drinks table. There's a door to the servant wing directly across. If we time it right, we can exit as people pass in front of us. We'll just linger long enough for Mother to get bored of watching us, and then we'll make our move."

Hans heard Samuel sigh. It seemed this was not the first time he was drawn into the adventures of the other two. It was not so long ago that Hans himself was part of their regular antics. But that all changed when...

"But wait. You still haven't said where we're going," he whispered, touching Daniel's arm. His heart ached when Dan instantly tore his arm away from him. "S-sorry..."

The silent pause between the four of them had Hans worrying that they'd changed their minds. But Emil suddenly crossed between them, leading the way.

"You'll see. C'mon."

* * *

The deal was simple. If Hans could spend an hour alone at the haunted cove, his brothers would let bygones be bygones and they could all just be brothers again. Months of teasing, tension and pranks against one another would be forgotten. Granted, the worst had been orchestrated by Hans himself against Samuel. It was well known among all the brothers that Samuel had a violent phobia of total darkness. When once Sam had, as a much lighter practical joke, hidden Hans's texts just before their morning lessons, which unfortunately resulted in a more severe scolding from their tutor than anticipated, Hans saw it fit to retaliate by locking Samuel in their shared closet during noon meal. Not only did the twin miss his meal, but all the brothers were about their business that afternoon, which meant Samuel was left in the small, pitch black space by himself for several hours before Daniel came looking for him and heard the crying from their room. After that, those brothers still at home began to avoid and ostracize their youngest brother.

Now it'd seemed that three of them were going to give him the chance to redeem himself. Even though a small part within him warned him not to trust his brothers, he let them row him out to the rock at the center of the cove. There they left him with a promise to return after one hour.

When he was sure that an hour had passed and they did not return, he thought at first they were just running late. Perhaps Mother was holding them prisoner at the party.

But then a second hour passed... and it grew cold out. But he'd wait just a little bit longer.

A little bit longer went by, and Hans considered swimming to the shore. After all, it didn't look _that_ far. But Daniel had mentioned something about man-eating monsters in the water, so fear kept him rooted to the rock, staring at the little boat on the beach, so close yet so far.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when his legs grew tired and he had to sit. He was beginning to suspect that they intended to leave him out there all night, or worse.

As he sat there, he thought of all he had put them through since Christmas. The worst of his pranks had probably been on poor Sam. But he'd ruined an innocent friendship between Peter and a girl in town by telling their mother about it. He'd stolen Daniel's knife collection, planting it under Emil's bed to see if the two would turn on each other. Of course, they did. It was a blood bath until one of the older twins intervened. Robert had caught Hans giggling just outside of the room and turned him in to their mother. But Hans made sure to get revenge by forging a letter in Robert's hand to one of the servant girls. The letter professed Robert's supposed fondness for the girl. Now, _that_ had been awkward for everyone until the girl mentioned Robert's letter. Hans never admitted to being behind it, but he didn't have to. Robert had not said a word to him since.

No one bothered to ask him why he did these things. He wouldn't have had an answer, for he asked himself all the time.

_Why?_

_Why would you do that?_

It was the strangest thing when the darkness took over. He recalled every detail afterward, the glee at causing trouble for those close to him, the amusement when it was figured out that yet again he had outwitted them.

But later on, it would recede and he was left alone and horrified. No more was he the beloved little prince with twelve older doting brothers. Now he was a terror, a nuisance. No one wanted to be near him, for fear that they'd be his next target. Infuriatingly enough, the only one who refused to see him for what he was was the queen. No matter how many times his brothers, tutors or servants went to her with horror stories about his behavior, the queen would wave them off.

He supposed he should have been happy that her love was unconditional. Instead, he found it...annoying. Why didn't she just scold him or punish him? Instead, she would scoop him into her arms and cry over the injustice of his being the overlooked, misunderstood youngest son. A couple of times, he'd acted out and went to her himself, waiting for a tick of anger, a blink of revulsion, anything.

Perhaps there was something wrong with him. He didn't need any more of his mother's love, though. It was his brothers' love he needed.

Hans looked up, observing how far the moon had traveled overhead. He was sure now that his brothers would not return. Accepting his punishment, he felt tears sting his eyes. They frightened him at first. It had been so long since he last cried.

"Ah...!"

Pain seared across his right eye, making him clap his hand over it and yelp. His cry echoed across the cove waters as he doubled over, wincing. Something... sharp... wet... his instinct was to clamp his eyelid shut, but that just made it worse. Trembling, cringing as he reached up and had to pry his lid up, he felt his reflexes resist. He brought one shaking finger to the corner of his eye. Something pricked his skin, sticking to his finger as he brought his hand away. His hand shook violently. Dark liquid pooled over his eye, but he could see clearly with his left. A piece of... something. Glass?

He heard a woman's whisper as a blast of freezing air swept over him. Hans looked up...

A woman stood there—a woman with long silver-white hair. She looked...haunting.

"Are you a ghost?" he asked, surprised by the absence of fear. Something told him to be afraid. But she was so beautiful, how could he fear her?

The woman shook her head as she knelt before him, taking his face into her hands. Her fingers chilled him to the bone, but she was gentle as she examined his eye.

"Why are you crying?" she asked.

Hans thought about it for a moment.

"I'm alone. No one wants me around."

The ghostly woman tilted her head at that. "Is it so awful to be alone?" she asked in earnest.

"It is when you don't _want_ to be alone," Hans told her, sniffling as he wiped his sleeve over his nose.

Then, in spite of how embarrassing it was to cry in front of a stranger, he let himself sob. The woman just sat there, not looking the least bit moved. But she was kind enough to let him cry even though she didn't know him. Part of him thought to ask how she had reached the rock. Didn't she know there were monsters in the water?

...unless she was one of those monsters?

Hans coughed and took a step away from her at that sudden thought. "Y-you're not a monster, are you?"

Something odd flickered over the woman's face. She smiled at his question and then looked immediately shocked about smiling, actually bringing her hands up to her face as though to be sure it was hers.

"No, child. At least, I won't be a monster to you."

What did that mean?

"Hold out your finger. You're hurt."

Hans looked down to the piece of silver glass poking out of his fingertip. Without any further hesitation, he reached his hand out toward her. With the care and caution of his own mother, the woman removed the piece of glass and waved her hand over his. In an instant, the cut left by the glass was gone.

The young prince turned his hand this way and that, his mouth hanging open in wonder. "How did you...?"

"Would you like to have magic like that?" she offered.

His eyes widened. "C-could I? Would you teach me?"

Again the woman smiled, though this time she looked less shocked by it. "Not now. But when you're older. You'll be stronger then."

Disappointed, the boy wrinkled his brow.

"Your eye," she said, distracting him. "Does it hurt?"

Hans nodded.

"Come here."

Having been healed by her, Hans didn't see how the woman could be a threat to him. And if she were one of the monsters from the water, she could have dragged him down under the surface by now. With that in mind, he approached her with his head held high, wanting to show her his courage.

Her eyes were an intense blue, the coldest hue he'd ever seen. They were full of time and sadness. He stood face-to-face with her now, her still kneeling before him as she reached up to touch his auburn hair.

Then, she leaned toward him and placed a quick, soft kiss upon his lips. The moment she did so, a peculiar tingling ran up from his toes to his hair. When it passed over his eye, it took the pain with it. Hans blinked and found he could see clearly through his right eye again, and when he felt with his hand, all the blood was gone.

Excited by this display of power, Hans said, "Can I go with you... please? Wherever you're going? There's nothing for me here... I'm the youngest... my brothers hate me."

She said nothing at first as she stood up, now towering over him with her silver dress billowing in the salty, chilly night breeze. Then, she shook her head.

"What is your name?"

"Hans... thirteenth prince of the Southern Isles."

"Very well, Hans... thirteenth prince of the Southern Isles. You're not strong enough yet. We will meet again when you've grown older. But I will not appear to you again until you've experienced love. I need someone who understands what I've suffered."

Hans blanched a little at the mention of love, though he had no idea what she meant about understanding what she suffered. Then, quite inexplicably, the thought of her leaving became uncomfortable.

"Can't you stay a while longer...?" he asked.

She shook her head. "There's much to be done before we meet again. But don't worry. We _will_ meet again... and someone will be here for you shortly."

Then, abruptly, she lifted into the air. Hans yelled out, but she was out of reach within seconds, lifting up into the autumn night. He watched her fly away... and by the time she was out of sight, he saw someone with a lantern approach the boat at the shore.

It was a servant coming to fetch him. How anyone found out where to find him, Hans couldn't be sure. And of course, after the incident at the cove, Emil and the twins were in a great deal of trouble with the queen. He stopped his pranks altogether, though most of his brothers went on ignoring him. He got over that with time, focusing instead on improving himself and studying to join his father's navy. After a while, he forgot about the strange encounter at the haunted cove... or rather, he decided he'd dreamt her up.

But that icy kiss haunted him even years later.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, thank you thank you THANK YOU for your patience! This chapter was a challenge, let me tell you. Between limited time last month because of our purchase of the house, and then moving everything, cleaning the old apartment, blah blah blah... and then having this be a HANS-centric chapter was an even greater challenge, much as I needed and wanted to do it that way. There was supposed to be an extra scene at the end here, but I left that out. Debating whether to leave it out entirely or include it in one of the other last few chapters.
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> And I mean that. I am building up toward the end of the story here, with plans for an epilogue or two after. Thank you to everyone who's been following and commenting. It's been a lot of fun writing this! I'm sure you have questions, so if you leave them in a comment, I will do my best to answer (unless of course it's too spoilery!)
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> But one thing I'd like to recap from this chapter but will put this below with respect to people who don't want stuff spelled out is that...
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> So yeah. Hans did not exactly tell Anna the whole story about the cove and his brothers. He does NOT have a piece of the mirror in his eye by the time he meets Anna. The mirror shard was only in his eye as a boy, basically making him act out, which was the reason for his strained relationship with his brothers. She senses one of her shards at the cove and collects it. That's what she's been doing, remember? It's strictly the Ice Maiden's kiss that's been messing with him from then on. When he first meets Anna, he's only been kissed once. When he encounters the Ice Maiden a second time at the North Mountain, that's the second kiss. This is important, so just keep it in mind.
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> Thanks for reading! I'll update again in 1-2 weeks and try harder to stay on schedule this time.


	50. An Immortal Companion

The years dragged on, but not Prince Hans. He pushed, studied and drove himself up through the ranks of his father's navy.

At first, it was to win his family's respect. By happy chance, he found he loved life on a ship, loved working side by side with men who loved the Southern Isles and the sea as much as himself. The exhilarating sound of the canons, the pursuit of pirating ships and enemy fleets were all part of a rewarding adventure he'd not trade for anything. But when he was promoted to Commander and his brothers, save for Felix, _still_ sniggered and spoke poorly of him behind his back—those who were home and didn't outright pretend he didn't exist, that is—Hans realized that it would be best to make himself happy. He would never be king. With eleven rival brothers between him and the crown prince, there also would not be much opportunity to marry into wealth. It was just as Felix was always telling him; nothing would ever be handed to _him_ save for their mother's love.

Of course, his mother's favoritism did nothing to improve his relationship with the others.

Father was bedridden half the time, stark raving mad the rest. The drop of a hat could set him off into violent tirades about anything ranging from the wars to thieving servants to cursed merfolk. _No one_ wanted to be around the king for long, not even the royal physician.

The oldest four brothers—Bjorne, Jacob, Reuben and Kenneth—kept pushing for their mother to talk the court into Bjorne's coronation, but she wouldn't budge just yet.

The fifth son, Christian, had not been home in half a decade, not since he'd entered the monastery. Quite befitting his name, Hans always thought.

Robert had already married and borne children. The rest of the princes served alongside Hans, though Felix was more of a help whereas the twins and Emil competed for rank.

Before Hans knew it, he was twenty-one when he was honored with the tile of Admiral. Felix was just about the only one in the family who congratulated him. The others just seethed with envy... but only until they concocted a plan to get Hans discharged from service.

They drugged his drink on the eve of an important dinner with ambassadors from Cendrillon.

Later, Hans assumed he'd only been meant to embarrass his family so terribly that his mother would be forced to strip him of his rank in the navy at _least_.

No one could have predicted the worst of it. The scene at dinner was awful enough. He had, quite effectively, humiliated his family in front of the ambassadors. Then, he'd stormed out of the palace and into the village, all the way to port. The rest was just... fuzzy bits and pieces at the docks. Dark water. Tangled in ropes. A splash and struggle. Felix had apparently come after him. Of course. It was always the eighth prince who came to the youngest's rescue.

If only Felix had just stayed with the others that night... then he... then he might not have...

But it was all for naught. Years of hard work, trying to prove to his brothers that he was worth something, were all for nothing. He'd let them get the better of him. And poor Felix, always trying to stick up for him when he wasn't even worthy... poor Felix was the one to suffer for it in the end—an end Hans couldn't even remember.

The brothers tried to have him blamed for murder. But the queen wouldn't have that. She might never speak to her youngest son ever again, for some part of her feared that perhaps Hans _was_ responsible for Felix's drowning. But she couldn't bring herself to try her youngest for murder.

Instead, he was indeed stripped of his rank, discharged from the navy and encouraged to find a wife as soon as possible so that his family could be rid of him.

* * *

Maybe, just maybe there was hope for the queen, Hans hoped as an Arendelle guard approached him with Elsa out cold in his arms. Heavens knew Hans was the last person who could refuse giving others second chances... after everything he'd put his brothers and parents through.

He winced inwardly as he thought of Felix.

Queen Elsa's darkness at least seemed within her control. She hadn't wanted to hurt Weselton's men; Hans had seen that. If it hadn't been for his plea, though...

And where was Anna? She was the only reason he'd come out to the North Mountain. He'd expected to find the two deep in debate—perhaps the redhead actually trying to drag the queen from her icy exile.

Instead, the queen had had her ice golem waiting for intruders, and Hans's fiery fiancée was nowhere to be seen.

"What now, Your Highness?" the guard asked. The mountain's winds picked up, blowing powdery snow across the party of men who looked to him for guidance.

Hans's attention snapped back to the cold reality. His princess was missing. The queen was out of control. Arendelle still needed his leadership.

"We bring Her Majesty home..." Hans answered.

The guard looked down fearfully at the royal sleeping in his arms. When he moved to pass her to Prince Hans, Hans had to hold back a rebuke. It was, after all, only natural for the man to be frightened of something he didn't understand. Hans might have been wary if he had not seen for himself the fear on Elsa's face. The woman was not a killer. She was afraid... of herself.

Something he could relate to all too well.

The men moved around him, those who had reached their horses already mounting up. Hans took a single step toward Sitron and stopped.

"Anna..." he murmured. The only reason he'd come out here... and the only reason he'd come to Arendelle.

His mother had sent a servant to him with the invitation to the Arendelle coronation, since Queen Marianne hadn't spoken to him directly in over a year.

"The queen says you are to represent the Southern Isles, Your Highness. There will be all manner of eligible ladies there, among them the queen and her sister themselves. You're to find a fiancée... or... you're not to come home."

The last bit had been a difficult message to bear, but Hans accepted the invitation with a graceful smile and dismissed the man afterward without a hint of agitation.

Inside, of course, he'd felt turmoil.

Unlike certain brothers of his, Hans had not spent much time or interest on the opposite sex. All his life, he'd been too focused on himself to have time for... _that_. And so, he hadn't a clue about women. He'd made sure to reread some Shakespeare and other romances before his departure. None of his brothers made the trip with him, thankfully. So there was no one from home to compete with on his mother's assigned 'mission'.

A mission was how he'd thought about it... until he literally bumped into Princess Anna. Their first meeting had been sweet... and chaotic. And while Hans didn't have any experience in courting, he was fairly certain that Anna was different from any woman he would ever meet. It was her open and goofy nature that immediately caught his interest along with how she qualified just about everything she said to reassure those she spoke to. Not to mention, hearing her humble, _But lucky you, it's just me._

In that one meeting, the girl had shared a little of her soul with Hans, whether she realized it or not. He immediately felt that she was someone he would want to spend more time with, and he only became more certain of that when he found her again at the coronation ball.

He'd worried that she might find his proposal too hasty, but she'd accepted him. She'd handed herself to him.

Just like that.

Of course, Queen Elsa's refusal to give her blessing followed by the unnatural blizzard sort of put a real damper on everything.

Hans looked back toward the North Mountain, wondering if Anna might still be there. Perhaps they'd missed her.

"Wait!" Hans called out to the guards still on foot. He carefully handed the queen off to one of them. "I'll catch up in a moment. Go on ahead."

The guard with the queen handed her up to one of his comrades already on horseback. They all glanced back toward Hans before following orders.

Weselton's two men lagged behind before coming to a full stop and staring Hans down. The prince glared at them, remembering the way they'd gone after the queen. If he hadn't stepped in, Elsa would've been caught by that arrow, possibly dead.

"I don't know whether you were acting on orders or on your own, but if you make another attempt on the queen's life, I'll make sure you pay for it," he warned them. "Now, _go_."

The two brutes exchanged grumpy glances, though they looked worried enough about how Hans might make them pay that they turned away from him and followed the train of Arendelle guards down the side of the mountain.

Again, Hans looked back at the mountain... and froze. Every thought of the Arendelle sisters and the kingdom itself was temporarily knocked from his mind as he saw a familiar apparition standing at the remains of the steps leading up to Elsa's castle.

A memory, one long ago put aside as a frightened child's imagining, slithered back into his present thoughts. It was the magic woman who comforted him at the haunted cove.

As he watched her approach, he wondered if he should be glad to see her. Yet he was sad as well, for the woman's presence, her mere existence meant he couldn't be with Anna. He wasn't sure how, but he knew this.

She stopped inches from him and greeted him with such a kiss that it chilled him to the bone. It was nothing like the chaste kiss she'd given him as a boy. This nearly knocked him off his feet. But he felt strangely calm, eventually melting into her kiss. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when she pulled away and studied him.

"You mustn't forget about me," she said.

Hans shivered, unsure whether he was affected by her voice or by the cold.

"I'm preparing the mirror that will allow you to rule the northlands beside me."

"A mirror?" he asked, confused.

"Yes. I need the mirror to make you immortal. But it's no easy task... the more I come into contact with it, the more I lose myself. So... be patient. Don't let your heart betray you."

Her caution wrapped around his heart like icy tendrils. He felt... strange. Just a moment ago, he was desperately worried about Anna after her horse returned alone to Arendelle. But that was weakness—the same human weakness that made him forget about the kind ice woman who comforted him when his brothers were cruel.

Anna... Anna brought out that weakness in him.

"How did you find me?" he asked. He felt an inner part of him snarl at himself, for he knew he'd asked the question to buy himself some time. Anna was out there somewhere. What if she was hurt? With the blizzard, it was only a matter of time before she could freeze. He had to get her home.

"I've known where you were ever since we met, Hans. It's part of the magic when I kiss someone. They become... mine, in a sense," she answered.

"But I forgot about you..."

She chuckled at that. "We both know that's not true. You could never really _forget_ about me. And now, you're certainly incapable."

"What do you mean by now...?"

He thought of Anna with a broken ankle in the dungeons of the ice palace. Perhaps the queen had locked her away in irritation. With Elsa incapacitated, she wouldn't have been able to warn them not to leave Anna behind.

Something like sharp claws dug through his thoughts, sweeping panic over his freckly princess aside. Hans shook his head, startled when his vision started to flicker. When he could see clearly, he looked back at the Ice Maiden... and smiled.

"I promised I would come for you when you were strong enough. Do you think that time is now?"

He wanted to shout at her to leave. But that part of him grew dimmer and dimmer. He was unable to control himself as he smiled and knelt before her.

"Yes, m'lady. I hope so... and I would be happy to prove it to you."

 _By burying my weakness at all costs_.

* * *

The visions faded and Anna found herself alone in a void. She wept for young Hans, for the boy who couldn't help the evil in his eye nor the cruelty of the brothers who should have sensed something was wrong with him. She cried for the prince who'd tried so hard to rise above the past only to lose the one person who'd stood up for him all that time. She leaned over on her knees and wiped at her eyes, trembling as everything she'd seen revealed the one thing she'd wanted to know: why.

A familiar voice interrupted. "I didn't show you all of that to see you waste time crying about it."

She sniffed and looked up, startled to find another Princess Anna looking down at her. This Anna wore her blue dress and black bodice, the clothes she'd gone traveling in during Elsa's blizzard.

"Who... how...?" she stammered, wiping the remaining tears from her face.

Then she remembered the Ice Maiden's attack, the falling chandelier.

She choked.

"Am I dead?"

The darkness around them warmed and transformed until the two of them were beneath a tree. This startled Anna somewhat, but she knew if she weren't dead, she must be dreaming. She stood and looked around what appeared to be green fields all around, with black horizons in every direction. Yet she could see clearly as if it were day.

"Dead? No. But you're in another mess. I've been trying to help, but you haven't been listening," the other version of her snapped.

"Erm... sorry..." she mumbled. "But I'm a little confused. So, I'm not dead... and you're _me_?"

Her double shrugged and sat on a backless stone bench that materialized beneath her. She patted the empty space next to her for Anna.

"Not exactly," she answered as Anna, somewhat mystified, took a seat next to her. "I'm more of a reflection of you."

Anna groaned. "I'm in a coma, aren't I?"

Her reflection giggled and slapped her on the shoulder. "Anna... do you remember how you broke the curse over Arendelle?"

She nodded, although she wasn't sure what that had to do with her several current predicaments. "An act of true love. Although, at the time, I was just trying to protect Elsa..."

Her mirror self nodded. "And do you understand where Elsa's power comes from?"

"Welllll... the visions I've been having have shown me bits and pieces of the Ice Maiden's story. I know that Elsa and I are descended from a baby she cursed. Our great-great-grandmother had the same magic as Elsa, so I can only assume that the curse was to suffer the same kind of power the Ice Maiden herself has."

"Ah, so you _have_ been paying attention. Good!"

Anna blinked several times and slowly turned toward her reflection with a raised eyebrow. "Paying attention...? Are _you_ responsible for the dreams I've been having?"

"It's my way of trying to repay you."

"Repay me...? For what? Why would I be trying to repay myself?"

The other Anna looked out into the fields, pondering. Anna shivered as she realized they really were identical, except for the calm aura her reflection had while Anna herself felt bewildered.

"You tilted the scales back, Anna. For so long, my magic has been used for too much evil. It had poisoned me over time. But your act of true love woke me up."

Anna sat in silence, her brow furrowing more with confusion.

"Unfortunately, I must ask for more of your help. The Ice Maiden, she's... trying to do something that ought never have been done in the first place. She's trying to make me whole again."

"You're..." Anna paused. "The truth mirror. You're the truth mirror?"

When the mirror nodded, Anna almost fell back.

"Okay. Okaaaay. You're a magical entity, so I shoudn't be all that surprised that you can talk to me and show me visions, but... I still don't understand... can't you stop the Ice Maiden yourself?"

"I've tried. The same way I've tried with others who abuse my power, but... she's found a way around that. She's been using others to put the pieces back together. I even tried hiding Hans from her. But she had marked him... and her past self recognized it. An oversight on my part."

Anna gulped. "So... what happens when you're whole again? And what does she want with Hans?"

"I imagine that she wants an immortal companion," the mirror answered. "As for when she makes me whole... well, I won't be able to stop her from however she wants to use my power then. She'll control destiny itself. The past, the present and the future."

Anna's breath caught in her throat. A being like the Ice Maiden... in complete control of everything? Her hands gripped the edges of the stone bench, her knuckles going white. To top it all, Hans would be trapped by her side for... well, forever if she made him immortal.

She let out a determined sigh and stood up from the bench, turning toward her mirror self.

"How do I stop her?"

* * *

Queen Elsa sat at the sleeping noble's bedside, her hands trembling over the book in her lap as she fooled herself into thinking she could read at a time like this. Her eyes glossed over the words—a history of the northern kingdoms—but her mind wasn't absorbing any of it. It was too busy panicking, though at least she managed to keep her power in check.

It was simple arithmetic. Someone had poisoned Lord Harald before he could share whatever his urgent news was. Yet why couldn't Elsa decide whether it meant Harald was not the threat she worried he was?

Had Harald come to plant another seed of poison in her ear, or had he been trying to warn her?

Why was she even questioning it?! The fact was that whoever poisoned him did _not_ want Harald to get his message to her. Anyone who was willing to poison a messenger couldn't be good news.

Elsa shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she realized once again that the person was likely loose in the castle. Could it be one of the other nobles? A servant who'd seen how much stress the noble had caused their queen as of late?

She shook her head, clapping the book shut and running a hand through her pale hair before she set the book down on the nightstand.

The sleeping man suddenly shot up in his bed, gasping and staring with his eyes wide in terror. Elsa shrieked and jumped back in her chair, her heart hammering against her chest as Lord Harald turned toward her and grasped for her hand while he looked wildly around the room. When he confirmed that they were alone, he stared at her.

"I meant for your letter to get out, Your Majesty... I truly did... but _he_ must have thrown it out."

His hand squeezed around hers, making Elsa bite her tongue to keep from yelling at him. She gently pried his fingers loose and dropped his hand away from her as she looked at him squarely.

But she could not hide the fright in her own eyes as she asked, "Who's _he_?"

* * *

Olaf was so excited to hear of Kristoff's return that the first thing he did was to hunt down Sofia and persuade her to bake a batch of 'Welcome Home!' cookies. They were just plain sugar cookies, but Olaf planned to cheer, "welcome home!" when he delivered them. Hence, 'welcome home!' cookies.

Sofia blinked at this logic, but she said nothing as she got the ingredients gathered and convinced Chef to help them.

"Hey, Olaf. You want to shape these guys like reindeer? Kristoff has a reindeer, you said... so I thought—"

"Yes! Ooh, yes!" Olaf interrupted Sofia, his eyes going starry with enthusiasm.

The girl chuckled and said, "All right. But I need you to fetch the cookie cutter from the storeroom."

"Leave it to me!" the little snowman yelled, bounding out of the room before Sofia could tell him which shelf he'd find the cutter on.

Olaf sprinted out of the kitchens and into the downstairs hall, frolicking all the way to the end where he turned a corner and knocked directly into a pair of black boots. The impact sent him rolling backwards, his head, body and legs coming apart. With a pained groan, he quickly put himself back together and looked up at the man he bumped into.

"Sorry about that!" Olaf said, smiling at the blonde stranger. "Are you lost?"

The stranger hid something away in his coat pocket and shook his head, looking darkly amused about something. Olaf was quiet for a moment, deciding that the man must just be shy.

"All righty! Excuse me, then!"

Then he darted around the man and was back on track for the storeroom. The door was open, which wasn't odd since servants frequently stopped in for anything they were low on, especially kitchen staff. Olaf entered the room and circled around before he realized he'd forgotten to ask Sofia where the cookie cutters were.

"Silly me!" he chuckled, waddling back out into the hall.

Then it hit him like Marshmallow's fist. The stranger in the hall was _not_ a stranger. He'd seen him before... more than once, though he only realized it now.

With a yelp, Olaf ran for the nearest stairwell to the upper levels of the castle, the 'welcome home!' cookies momentarily forgotten.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, getting closer and closer to the conclusion here. I'm still deciding whether to make the final chapter a two-part thing or just one chapter. Before I start answering questions, I want to address a few things.
> 
> So... the truth mirror's not really evil. But people can be corrupted by power... and supernatural beings are even more susceptible to it.
> 
> It was the mirror that sent Hans back in time to hide him from the Ice Maiden. But as she says, she underestimated the Ice Maiden's power. When the Ice Maiden kissed Hans as a boy, she sort of 'marked' him. I guess you can think of it as creepy spiritual imprinting, so that she'd be able to watch over him and find him when he was worthy of ruling beside her.
> 
> But how did the mirror act on its own when Hans didn't even have the mirror fragment in his eye at that time? Well, in a way, the mirror left its own 'imprint' on Hans before the fragment was removed from his eye. Its power left a mark on him. That's why he touches his eye still every now and again.
> 
> And Hans was in the fjord when he traveled through time. If you think about it... water is the oldest mirror there is. And there's definitely some mystery I'm deliberately leaving around the truth mirror, but... all I'll say is that it's not evil, it's really powerful and it would be bad if someone like the Ice Maiden had complete control over its power.
> 
> Now to answer some questions!
> 
> Did the kiss mess with Hans? Oh, it definitely did! HCA's Ice Maiden and the Snow Queen both have the Kiss of Death. The first two kisses just mess with your head... and in this story, her kiss definitely puts Hans under her sway.
> 
> Why is Anna having those dreams? It's the mirror showing her the past so that she can understand what's happening with the Ice Maiden. Because Anna defeated the mirror's power with her act of true love, the mirror's no longer as tainted as it was after years of being used for evil. So it's kind of like a thank you gift from the mirror. Though for the longest time, it just confuses Anna.
> 
> Will their actions affect the future? What do you think?


	51. The Loyal Nephew

Trembling with the unexpected revelation from Lord Harald and exhausted from the effort of getting the noble to rest again—only after she assured him over and over that she already had guards posted at his door—, Elsa left the guestroom and carefully closed the door behind her. She didn't notice immediately, although her senses warned her something was off. When she actually looked on either side of the closed door, the two guards she'd promised Harald were absent. She assumed the danger then and quickly swept her hand across Harald's door to seal it with ice. Knowing what limited time she likely had, Elsa headed right toward the corridor that would take her to the main stairwell. She kept to the middle of the hallway, not wanting to be too near any of the closed doors on either side of her lest she be caught off guard.

Elsa almost cleared the corridor when she saw a head of blonde hair coming up the stairs below. She hesitated a breath too long before she moved on as though her original path had been up, not down.

"Your Majesty?" Liam called after her. She could hear it in his voice; he thought she knew, and so she could not stop. He wanted to confirm it by seeing her face.

The queen pretended not to hear him call her. In fact, something compelled her to skip a couple of steps and lunge upward. As she did it, she felt resistance followed by the tearing of her dress train. Gasping as she stumbled, Elsa whirled around to find Liam's dagger had pinned her dress to the step she'd leapt from. She searched Liam's face, surprised by the sourness there. He had to have been around her age—fair for a man, more so than handsome. He didn't look a thing like his uncle. Elsa did not recall even making his acquaintance, which he must have known would go in his favor.

"I... I don't want to hurt you. Please—" Elsa begged as the young man wriggled his dagger in the step before prying it up for his next swipe, tearing away more of her dress with a snarl.

"Your power can't touch me, Your Majesty." Liam laughed out her title as he lunged for her.

Elsa threw her hands up, silvery tendrils of magic swirling around them only to fizzle out and fade before they reached the fake manservant. She realized just in time to roll out of the path of his weapon, pushing herself up off the stairs only to be yanked back down by her hair.

The queen screeched and kicked at his arm, watching with relief and victory as the dagger flew out of his hand and over into the next stairwell. She tried kicking him in a more vulnerable place next. But with a vengeful growl, Liam slammed his boot right into her stomach.

Elsa heaved, unable to even buckle up in pain as Liam held her put and leaned down with his hands circling around her neck.

Why? Why did this man hate her so much—enough to assume the identity of a new manservant just to exact revenge upon her? It was his uncle that committed a wrong, not her. It'd been the Duke of Weselton who assumed the worst of her power and ordered his men to kill her.

As she felt his hands tighten around her throat, Elsa squinted and dug at his iron-grip fingers, not seeing the least bit of a resemblance between Liam and the duke. If Lord Harald hadn't told her, she never would have made the connection herself. Apparently Harald only learned about Liam's identity when he confronted his manservant about throwing out Elsa's letter. The knowledge did little good for her now, of course.

"My uncle only wanted to expand trade between our kingdoms. When you set off your blizzard, he acted in _your_ kingdom's best interest," Liam said, oddly calm as his hands squeezed her neck. Elsa gagged and continued clawing at his hands, weakly kicking beneath him as she tried to think of what to do. "You're the one who put your people in danger. Your sister should be on the throne, not you. Funny how she's conveniently disappeared along with Prince Hans... you can fool Lord Harald and the rest of your court, Your Majesty, but you can't fool Weselton."

Elsa teared up now as she ached for air, unable even to gasp at the crushing pain in her throat. But what could she do? She couldn't cry for help; her magic wouldn't work on him. What would Anna do?

Elsa's eyes widened over a memory of little Anna jumping from snow hill to snow hill. Suddenly, she glared at Liam with cold determination that took him by surprise.

A second off his guard was all Elsa needed. She pushed her arm up and summoned a snow hill beneath her that drove her up and away from Liam. She quickly sucked in a deep breath and rolled back, grappling for the banister to pull herself up. She didn't wait to see if Liam recovered right away. She turned and bolted for the third level with Liam's shouts following her.

* * *

Anna jumped up in bed and sucked in a deep gasp for air, hearing alarmed cries on either side of her as she took in her surroundings. She'd been asleep in her guestroom in Old Arendelle. She lifted her trembling fingers to bandage coverings on her arms and shoulders, which surprisingly only throbbed with a dull ache, not the excruciating pain she'd have expected.

A cool, smooth hand took hers and gently squeezed with some reassurance. Anna glanced left and found Judet staring back at her, worry lines adding to the wrinkles on the old woman's kind face.

"The Ice Maiden... did she get away? Where's Hans?!" Anna asked.

"Ice Maiden?" Kirsten asked from the other side of her. "Anna... Hans is gone."

Although she had expected as much, dread filled her anyway.

"Gone?"

"He left with the woman who attacked the ball," Judet explained, gently pulling Anna's hand down from her bandages.

Anna gently wriggled her hand free to toss her blanket off so she could swing her legs from the bed. The princess and the Sami woman protested, clucking over her like mother hens as they tried to restrain her.

"Anna, please, you need more rest," Kirsten insisted. "I've used so much magic to help you recover these past few days. That chandelier almost killed you... I need a break too." The princess chuckled weakly and Anna didn't need to look her in the eye to catch the weariness there. Then she looked between the two of them, suddenly alarmed.

"Did you just say it's been a few days?! I... I have to go! I have to go to him!"

She gave Kirsten a pleading gaze, but the younger girl shook her head. Frantic, Anna turned to Judet next.

"This is what you meant when you said the battle for his soul had just begun. This... Ice Maiden, she wants to make Hans immortal."

* * *

Elsa fled up to her parents' old chambers, trying not to dwell on the fact that her guards were nowhere to be seen. There should have been at least two on the third level even after Harald's departure. There were plenty of valuables—paintings, antiques, clocks, jewelry, furniture, even clothing—she'd not dared touch after her parents passed away. But just because she wouldn't touch them did not mean thieves wouldn't. There should have been _someone_ posted at the top of the stairs.

"You may not know this because you've spent the last some odd years as a regal hermit," Liam called out behind her. "But your people think it's odd you've been hidden since you were a girl. They need a ruler they can trust."

Elsa tried not to let his words distract her. She raced for her parents' sitting room, threw the doors open and instantly slammed them shut behind her. She turned the locks but also wielded her magic to stick a thick bar of ice through the door handles to make it even tougher for her pursuer to follow. The door rattled as soon as the ice formed. She gasped, backing away from the doors.

"The mistrust was not just here at home, though. The other kingdoms don't know what to make of you either." Liam raised his voice so she could hear him through the door. There was a brief pause of quiet before something slammed against the doors, cracking the bar of ice. Elsa took another step back, her heart beating like a hammer. "My uncle came here to talk with you about trade, yes." There was another slam, and Elsa realized he was kicking the doors. But his strength should not have been a match for her magic. She frowned.

"But he came to get to know you as well!" Again, the doors slammed and rattled. Elsa held herself still, entrusting herself to her magic. "He would have been on your side if your power hadn't hurt people."

Shame coursed through her. Of course she hadn't meant to summon a blizzard... and while her people were fine after the fact, she knew not all had come through unscathed. "And how do you repay him for acting for the good of your citizens?"

Elsa swallowed indignantly, not wanting to shout at this traitor on the off-chance that he didn't know she was standing on the other side of the doors. Still, how _dare_ he justify the Duke's actions!

"You banish him _and_ our kingdom's trade. Do you know what will happen to him at home? Hmm? Do you have any idea just how much was weighing on greater trade between our kingdoms?"

Elsa furrowed her brow, not understanding. Surely Weselton traded with other kingdoms.

She fought back her curiosity and looked all around her for the nearest object to take as a weapon if need be. She hastily removed a metal-framed painting from the wall, holding it before herself like a shield. The doors continued to rattle with each angry kick. Suddenly the center bulged and splintered with a particularly loud blow. Dust puffed out around the right handle and the bar of ice finally broke, the two ends sliding down against each other until they came loose through the handles and clattered to the floor, already beginning to melt.

The queen yelped when the next kick landed with Liam's boot through the doors. She took a step back and whirled around to face the balcony doors. She could fly out and he would not be able to follow, but shouldn't she face him? What kind of queen ran away from all adversaries?

By the time she asked herself the question, the doors slammed open with Liam between them, a dark and victorious smile on his young face. Elsa squared her shoulders and slowly turned to face him, frowning grimly.

"My mother would see the duke executed or put away for life in order to open trade with you again, you witch," Liam snarled.

"Your uncle tried to have me killed," Elsa bit back.

"Better you than your citizens!" he snapped.

The queen stood up a little taller to show him his words had no effect.

"You forget your place, though I imagine you must be confused after assuming the identity of a servant. Does your uncle know about that?"

Liam smiled, which gave Elsa her answer.

"I was here with him during the coronation. He had me stay aboard our ship as he suspected something was off in Arendelle. Who knew just how right he'd be?"

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "So when the blizzard hit, you...?"

"My uncle had me on watch for your return. Only, then your sister went to look for you... and then Prince Hans went to look for _her_."

Elsa cringed at his summary of the events.

"The duke by then was convinced of the danger you were. He sent his men after you while he watched over Arendelle. And I kept watch for your return—"

"In case his men failed," Elsa interrupted.

Liam nodded. "Which, of course, they did. Had he sent me instead, he wouldn't be sitting in a cell to rot in Weselton right now."

"Is that what this is? His revenge?"

Liam shook his head. "It's mine."

Elsa readied herself for the duke's nephew to charge at her. She was a little surprised when instead, he pointed toward the balcony windows. With a raised eyebrow, Elsa walked to the end of the room and looked outside.

There, far enough that she could barely make them out except as a dark line moving in from the outer reaches of the fjord.

"Ships," Elsa said. Hundreds of them.

Liam's dark laugh prompted her to turn back toward him in question. "Weselton has a navy?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Oh no, Your Majesty. That fleet is from the Southern Isles. As promised."

Elsa shook her head. "No... I sent the letter out..."

Liam only chuckled harder at that, as if the queen had just told a joke.

"This is... oh, this is my favorite part though. Your confusion! God, it's priceless."

Elsa just stared wordlessly as Liam made himself comfortable in her _father's_ chair. She wanted to throw him off with an icy gale, but she didn't see the point in giving validity to his claims that she was dangerous. Besides, the approaching fleet was more worrisome than anything Liam could say now.

"What have you done?" she asked.

"Me? Ha! Me? _You_. You sent out a rather venomous letter about their thirteenth prince. True, Prince Hans is rumored to be the least favored son, but... well, you've dragged their name through the mud with tales about the prince's schemes to seduce your sister, murder you and take over the kingdom. It was a bit more than Queen Marianne could bear."

"Enough!"

Truly, she'd had enough.

"I sent no such thi..."

Then, Elsa recalled the first letter. How strange it should have seemed to her to receive a letter from the Southern Isles merely three days after his disappearance. It took at least four on the fastest ships to sail between their two kingdoms. There was no way they could have gotten word about Prince Hans unless...

"The letter. It was fake."

"It nearly gave you a heart attack though, didn't it?" Liam smiled, crossing his leg to rest his ankle on his knee. "I had a hell of a time breaking into the prince's room to steal his family's seal. Good thing he traveled with it. Probably anticipated he'd have to write back home about a certain engagement, I assume. Funny, how his scheme failed but ended up helping mine."

Elsa didn't find any humor in that. She glared at Liam.

"So, what... you wrote a false letter from me as well? Sent it to the Southern Isles?"

At this, Liam grew solemn.

"My uncle was the only one to write a letter. I put it on route for delivery for him just after you had him arrested."

Elsa turned back toward the window. She had thirty minutes before the first line of ships would reach the docks. If the port was even their destination.

"You won't get away with this," she said, more to herself than to Liam. "I'll explain everything. They'll see reason."

"You don't sound all that confident," Liam noted.

"Curse you," she hissed, storming past him in the chair. What now? Kai would know what to do. But Kai wasn't available. There was Lord Harald, the man whom she'd misjudged. But was he well enough after the attack?

Elsa paused and turned back toward Liam. "Why did you attack Lord Harald?"

"He figured me out. Obviously."

"How?"

"Found your letter in the bin in his library. I'd taken it from him to take aboard the ship at the docks that day, or so he thought... instead I just pocketed the thing and tossed it at the earliest opportunity. Didn't think a _noble_ would go digging through the trash. Don't look at me like that. You started all of this with... your... witchery."

Elsa scoffed. "Do you hate all things you don't understand?"

Liam smiled without an answer.

"Your Majesty!" A voice called out from the damaged doorway. Elsa blinked and saw Olaf standing there with Kristoff just behind him. The snowman looked terrified when he spotted Liam.

"This is the one?" Kristoff asked darkly. His glare did not leave Liam's face.

Olaf gulped. "Yup."

"Step aside, Olaf," Kristoff said.

The snowman did not need to be told twice. He hopped out of the way at once, allowing Kristoff to lead a line of castle guards into the sitting room. He ignored Liam as he ran to Elsa and took her hands into his, squeezing them as he searched her as if to check for harm.

When he seemed satisfied that she was not physically hurt, he asked, "Are you all right?"

Elsa frowned and turned back to eye the coming ships again. When Kristoff's gaze followed, he let out a long, stunned whistle.

"Um... do those ships have something to do with him?" The ice harvester glared back at Liam, who seemed indifferent as three guards surrounded him, two with their hands on his arms.

"He said Weselton sent a letter out before... well, before any of this. As soon as he and Hans were arrested."

Kristoff's face scrunched up in confusion. "Weselton has a navy?"

Elsa shook her head. "Those ships are from the Southern Isles."

The ice harvester's eyes widened at that. Suddenly, he felt a small stick hand pat his knee. Looking down, Kristoff found a sad Olaf looking up at him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't remember his face sooner..."

Elsa blinked several times. "Remember...?"

"Liam's the one who locked up Olaf," Kristoff explained.

Anger boiled within her as she glared at the duke's nephew once again. Tiring of his smug grin, she ordered her guards to take him to the dungeons and report back to her as soon as possible. She would need as many of them as possible shortly, it seemed.

But there was something still bothering her.

"Wait," she ordered before her guards had reached the door. They paused, turning with their prisoner at hand. "Search him."

Something flickered in Liam's face. Anger? No. Worry... about what?

"What is it?" Kristoff whispered to her as they watched the third guard pat down the duke's nephew while the others held him still as he tried to shrug them off.

"Get your hands off me!" he barked.

The guard pulled aside his coat and reached into one of the pockets in the lining. Liam snarled and tried to shove the guard away, but the others intervened.

"Release me this instant! Nothing can help you now; the Southern Isles have sent their ships. Unless your queen plans on taking on the whole fleet..."

Kristoff squinted at the shining object in the guard's hand as he brought it forward to the queen.

"Is that...?" Elsa began to ask.

Kristoff nodded.

"He had a mirror shard on him."

Elsa felt the blood drain from her face. Well, at least that answered why her magic hadn't worked against Liam.

"I think... we should meet with Harald... to discuss our next move," Elsa said, her voice straining under stress.

Although Kristoff was still not a big fan of Lord Harald, he couldn't disagree. As he watched the ships coming in on the horizon, he felt Elsa's hand take his.

That, at least, was a comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! I'm not sure just HOW surprising Liam's role is here. I mean, Harald was a bit of a red herring. Basically, Liam went to Arendelle with his Uncle (the duke of Weselton) and when the duke's plans were foiled, he put his nephew to work to bring about Elsa's downfall. At some point, Liam happened upon a mirror shard, which is what he was carrying that made Elsa's magic ineffective against him.
> 
> *Edit regarding Liam: Liam's a prince, but not the crown prince of Weselton. He'll likely inherit the duke's title (well, he would have, at least), so he's very close to his uncle, who we all remember well from the film. Also, it's mentioned in the film that the duke was making an effort to expand trade with Arendelle, so I sort of worked off of that and tried to imply here that Weselton was facing some sort of economic difficulty. That's what Liam means when he says so much was weighing on Arendelle's trade.
> 
> As for the twist and how he wasn't a more prominent character, that was sort of the point. He was able to get behind the scenes, first disguising himself as an Arendelle guard who imprisons Olaf to find out more about the situation with Hans. He's sent out his uncle's letter to the Southern Isles, so remember he wants to keep in the loop. Then he's officially introduced right when Kai's ice sculpture was dragged out for people to see. I know there's a lot going on in this story, but you were pretty much meant to be on guard ever since Olaf's imprisonment. You knew it couldn't be Harald because Olaf would have recognized him sooner. There really was no one else in the story it could have been, except one of the other nobles.
> 
> There are two chapters left. I'm likely going to take my time with them to get them just right. It's been a real pleasure writing this fic. I'm happy to hear from those of you who enjoyed it! 


	52. The Past and Present

The princess and her aunt stared at Anna with increasing worry after her outburst about the Ice Maiden making Hans immortal.

"Should we get the doctor?" Kirsten asked.

"I don't need the doctor. Please, K... Your Highness," Anna corrected herself. "You've seen stranger things these past few days."

The princess turned for a pitcher on the nightstand and poured a glass of water, which she handed to Anna with a sigh. Anna accepted the glass and took a sip, not realizing until she drank just how parched she was. She felt Judet's and Kirsten's gazes on her and, finding the long silence uncomfortable, took another sip to avoid their scrutinizing eyes.

"The thing is, Anna... Hans left willingly. The... ice woman, she didn't force him," Kirsten said with some difficulty.

Anna felt her hands tremble as she clutched the drinking glass. She wondered if Hans had hesitated at all before he left. Was he worried for her? Did he think her dead? Perhaps that was why he left... willingly, as they said.

Then again, immortality may have just been too good for him to pass up. She hated to think it. After all they had been through, after his seemingly earnest attempt to make things right with her.

Wait a minute. He'd said it himself. He couldn't control himself.

"He didn't leave willingly," she murmured so softly that she barely heard herself.

"Anna?" Judet said, sitting at the edge of her bed.

She swallowed her doubt and looked up to meet the two women square in the face.

"It wasn't willingly... he's under her spell," she explained. "If I don't help him, he could be lost forever."

"How far will you go to help him?" Judet asked plainly.

"As far as I have to," Anna answered without pause. "As far as I can."

The old woman smiled to show her approval before she turned her head to defer to Princess Kirsten. It would be _her_ decision, ultimately.

"Do you love Hans, Anna?"

The question made Anna jerk her head up. She felt her cheeks glow before she even processed how to answer. Admitting it to herself and hinting it to Hans was one thing—err, very well, two things. Yet it seemed like Kirsten was testing her somehow.

"I... honestly don't know if I know what love is, Your Highness," Anna finally answered, remembering the moment Kirsten had worked out that Anna and Hans weren't siblings. At what point had Anna's feelings culminated? Was it the wandering in the forest together? Being locked up for days in the dungeon? Or had the feelings been there all along, slowly budding from the ashes of his betrayal?

What _were_ these feelings?

They were different from the tingly swooning over a sudden engagement. It was no longer the awe of a lonely princess noticed by her handsome suitor. And if there was one thing Anna learned about herself and Hans over their adventure in the past, it was that they often butted heads.

So much for mental synchronization!

Even so, he... he genuinely seemed to...

"Anna?" Judet interrupted her thoughts just as they began to make her blush.

Oh, she'd forgiven him the moment her sister had lifted the blizzard from Arendelle. Not that she realized it until now. It was _forgetting_ she found impossible... and truly, Hans's cruelty would likely haunt her for a _long_ time, but...

The man who'd left her to die and had meant to kill Elsa was not the Hans who sang, danced and drew on the dungeon walls with her. It was not the man who comforted her or appreciated the part of her that had for years been pushed away. At least, that was what she chose to believe.

"I believe in him."

Kirsten and Judet looked at one another.

"But how will you help him?" the Sapmi woman asked.

Anna pondered that. After all, the truth mirror had only told her how to stop the Ice Maiden from turning Hans immortal. She just... couldn't let him complete the mirror.

The princess seemed to notice the growing concern on Anna's face, for she reached out to squeeze Anna's hand and said, "I believe in you, Anna."

"Then... will you help me?"

Kirsten's face fell at that. She stared at her hand around Anna's for a moment, silently considering. Finally, she released Anna's hand and stood, her head turning toward the balcony window before she looked at the redhead again.

"Yes. But I can't go with you this time."

Anna tried to mask her disappointment. It was her fault that Kirsten had used so much of her power in the last few days. She couldn't ask her great-great grandmother to put herself in danger yet again.

So, she nodded to show her understanding and, with Judet's help, she got out of bed.

No one made a sound as the two women helped Anna into her travelling clothes. For the most part, she felt like normal. It was only when she raised her arms too high over her head that she felt the lingering bruising. Otherwise, Kirsten's magic had nearly completely healed her. Her head felt a little foggy, but she was certain that the adrenaline required for her mission would help her focus.

"Are you ready?" Judet whispered. Kirsten had moved to the balcony, gently pulling the doors open and walking out. Anna nodded her head and followed. It was hard to tell the time of day from the overcast skies above.

The princess put one hand up and Anna stopped in her tracks. She then watched Kirsten close her eyes and swirl her arms around herself in a semi-circle, glittering silver light following her fingertips and dancing toward the stone balcony floor directly in front of her. The light came together and began to take shape, at first no larger at Kirsten's feet than a small rock. Then it grew and solidified, looking like masses of snow being sculpted by an invisible pick. Both Anna and Judet gasped in delight at this show, though Kirsten's face kept solemn. The snow creature grew four legs and a tail. When its antlers sprouted, Anna recognized it as one of Kirsten's snowmounts. When the creature shook its head and snorted, Kirsten's eyes opened. She circled around the creature, brushing the fur on its back as if to make sure her work was complete.

"I've not created any long-lasting creatures yet, Anna... who knows, it may yet be a skill I'll master, but... for now, I've done my best to ensure that this reindeer will last you until tomorrow's dusk. If you can get Hans... and bring him back by then..."

"If not, don't come after me," Anna said firmly. If she couldn't defeat the Ice Maiden, she didn't think she'd live to tell the tale of her failure. The thought was enough to make her blood cold, but she put on a brave front for the princess.

She felt Judet's hand pat her shoulder and turned to find the old Sapmi woman smiling.

"Have courage."

Well, she'd certainly try.

Anna moved toward the snowmount and steeled herself for perhaps her most dangerous adventure yet. Then, she paused by Kirsten. An idea struck her, dangerous perhaps but worth the risk.

"This is going to sound like an odd request," Anna said, looking at the two of them. "Can I make one suggestion before I go?"

In case she didn't come back.

* * *

"Absolutely not."

For once, Kristoff saw eye to eye with Lord Harald. The queen's hands balled up on the council room table, tiny snowflakes rising up from her knuckles the only indicator that Elsa was trying to reign in her emotions and hence her powers. Kristoff wanted to cover one of her hands with his, but as he was about to agree with her least favorite noble, he figured it would not have the desired effect. Never mind the impertinence of hand-grabbing in front of Harald.

"If you fly out to meet them on your own, they may view it as an attack."

Elsa stretched her fingers out upon the table, her shoulders relaxing even though the frown did not leave her face. She glanced at Kristoff to at least acknowledge the point he'd made, not that she looked happy about it. At long last, she let out a sigh that made the room temperature feel as if it had dropped twenty degrees.

"I can defend myself." She held her chin up, managing to look both parts the confident queen and the defiant young woman. "If they fire an attack, I would rather they do so far enough away from town. If we send a messenger, then we risk his or her life as well."

"It's too dangerous, Your Majesty," Lord Harald said with resounding firmness.

"Umm..."

Olaf's timid voice made all eyes turn toward the other end of the table. The others had practically forgotten his presence. Certainly, no one had noticed the snow angel sitting next to him slip in for the private council meeting.

"Gyda here wants to help," Olaf said, gesturing to his sister.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Kristoff slapped his palm over his forehead and groaned. Lord Harald looked equally fed up.

Elsa looked at her creation, sensing Gyda's feelings even though she never gave the snow angels voices.

"She... she can be _my_ voice," Elsa suddenly exclaimed.

Now, it was Lord Harald's turn to groan. "Your Majesty... the ships may still perceive her as a threat. Especially since by now they've only heard tales of your magic from the Duke of Weselton."

Elsa narrowed her eyes. Harald was still recovering from his near death, she understood. But he'd offered up no alternatives for how to handle the fleet of ships so far. He had just shot down all other ideas.

"We are running out of time," she said.

Harald faltered, glancing from her to her two snow children at the other end of the table. That seemed to get through to him, though he still looked weary.

Well, they were all weary.

After a moment, Harald relented with a bow of his head.

"I understand, Your Majesty."

* * *

Wet snow whipped all around Anna, blowing everywhere, getting in her braids and her eyes. At least she was gloved and well insulated by her cloak so that the winter winds did not trouble her too badly, though they pushed toward her and no doubt delayed her progress. The skies to her left dimmed and purpled after the setting of the sun. When the last light faded, she would follow the north star, per the mirror's instructions in her dream. A tiny part of her worried that she was being foolhardy. What if her conversation with the mirror had just been a dream? What if Hans really did go willingly to be with the Ice Maiden?

As the skies grew yet darker, Anna thought of how to save him... and what she would say to him. She'd never gotten to tell him point blank how she felt. Sure, she'd hinted at it at the ball, using that cringeworthy metaphor about open doors. She thought for certain she'd made a fool of herself, but then he'd gone after her to dance with her. That had to mean something, right?

Well, none of it would matter if Hans stayed trapped in the Ice Maiden's clutches.

The farther north she flew, the more the snow picked up. Over the northern sea, it thickened into a storm all around her as though trying to block her passage.

But Anna pressed onward, flying blind with only the occasional glimpse of the stars to guide her. She would reach Hans. She would save him or she would die trying.

* * *

The ice harvester lined up at the balcony window with the snowman on his left and the incredulous noble to his right, all of them watching the fjord save for the queen. Kristoff glanced back to find her staring at the mirror shard pulled from Liam. She turned it to and fro in her hand while Olaf and Harald commented on Gyda's flight across the water.

Elsa had given the snow angel a voice so she could get a message to the lead ship; the message was simply that Elsa was happy to host a parley to discuss the events that occurred since her coronation. However, the incoming fleet would be countered as aggressors of war if they did not stop their advance.

It was the nearest plan to sending Elsa out there herself. Kristoff thought Elsa would have been pleased. Instead, she continued to gaze at the mirror shard. Just when the ice harvester began to grow worried, Olaf shouted and drew his attention back out the window. He looked just in time to see the canon fire before the thundering boom reached his ears.

Elsa leaped from her chair, running for the balcony. Luckily, Kristoff managed to catch her by the elbow before she flew out the doors.

"If you use our magic against them, you'll just play into Weselton's hands." It didn't matter _which_ Weselton.

Elsa tugged her arm free. "I should just let my kingdom fall under attack?!"

He felt the blood drain from his face as he shook his head.

"I won't harm them unless I have to," Elsa said as a freezing wind blasted the balcony doors open.

Kristoff shivered, watching the woman he might love rush out bravely to meet the attack. Snowflakes kissed the footprints she left behind.

* * *

When the blizzard turned brutal, Anna knew she had to be close. It turned out she was right, even if it felt like hours later that she spotted the dark shape on the ground – the Ice Maiden's fortress.

This was it. She could turn back or descend; those were the only options, for every second was precious. Every second was also against her.

Anna let out a long sigh and mustered up her courage before she lifted both reins to guide the snowmount toward the ground.

When the reindeer landed, Anna mumbled, "The things I do for Hans," as she dismounted, though she said it with a smile on her face, trying to keep her spirits up and her fear at bay. She pulled the reins to the front of the snowmount, turning left and in a circle before it hit her that there was nothing but tundra all around and so nothing to tie the snowmount to.

Anna breathed through her teeth and glanced back at the animal. Was it an animal? Did it count?

"Look," she said, growing unnerved as the creature did not even blink at her. She supposed it wouldn't need to blink. Could it see? Could it _hear_? Was there any point in her giving it instructions? Hopeful that Kirsten had designed it that way to be as helpful as possible to Anna, she continued. "I need you to stay here. Don't walk off... because otherwise, I'll have no escape back to Arendelle..."

The snowmount continued to just stare at her. Anna scowled.

"Gee, you're somehow creepier than Olaf was when I first met him. ...oh God. I'm talking to a reindeer..." She shuddered and inched away from the creature. "I gotta go. _Stay_...here."

As she turned, Anna heard a loud groan of ice and metal and saw as the castle doors opened. A figure stepped out and walked toward her.

Anna steeled herself, wary at first. But as the person drew closer, Anna recognized him.

Hans.

Her face lit up as she ran to meet him. It almost seemed too perfect, her coming here to his rescue, him walking out of the Ice Maiden's fortress. Perhaps he'd broken the spell himself?

But Anna knew that was wishful thinking as soon as she could see his face. She threw her arms around him anyway.

"So glad you're all right. I..."

He didn't push her away. He didn't return the hug. He just stood there, still as a statue. Worried, Anna pulled away and looked up. "Hans?"

"Her Majesty invites you to enter her fortress," he said blankly. "Please follow me."

He started to turn back toward the castle when Anna put her hand on his arm.

"Hans... you know me, right?"

He nodded, but that was it. He radiated cool indifference. She knew it was the effect of the Ice Maiden, but it hurt. It took her back to that time in the library. He was cruel then. That hurt too. But this? This was a different kind of heartbreak.

Again, he began to turn away. She took her chances and squeezed his arm to hold him still, jumping up to press her lips to his. They felt cold, hard and chapped. Mostly, they felt unresponsive. Still, if the Ice Maiden could cast a spell with her kiss, perhaps Anna's kiss could break it. But as she lifted her lips away and looked up into his eyes, she saw for herself the kiss hadn't worked.

Hans looked puzzled for a moment. But then he slid right back into guiding her toward the fortress.

"This way, please."

Anna followed silently, each step making her want to cry.

She'd done it. She'd kissed Hans. And their first kiss, _her_ first kiss, had meant nothing.

* * *

It wasn't that Queen Elsa was fearless. If she were to be honest, she was terrified. But seeing the snow angel go up in flame and smoke had woken Elsa up. All her life, she'd been so passive. She could only blame the accident with Anna for so much. She'd _let_ her relationship with her sister deteriorate. She'd _let_ the nobles tell her what to do. She'd let the Ice Maiden turn one of her dearest friends into an ice sculpture. What was the damn point in having power if she acted powerless?

No more.

She stopped far enough away to avoid Gyda's fate, glaring at the incoming ships. They cut through the water like a swarm from a hive. Her eyes darted from row to row, frantically thinking of the quickest way to stop them all without hurting any of them. They were reacting to the duke's letter full of lies, after all.

She frowned and lowered her hands as she concentrated on the fjord below her. She didn't need to summon a blizzard to stop these ships. A chain of icebergs would work just as well. She focused on building the masses of ice underwater, shaping them so their narrowest surfaces floated up and up. The captains barked out orders which she could not hear, but she didn't need to. She watched the ships gradually stop or turn to avoid hitting the bergs, much to Elsa's relief.

But it wasn't over yet. She waited, hovering in one place high over the lead ship. At first, she didn't know what to do. If she lowered herself, they might just attack. If she turned back to the palace, they might camp outside the chain of icebergs and wait her out. Sooner or later, _that_ would become a problem.

She itched with impatience and squinted at men on the lead ship moving to communicate with nearby ships. From her height, they looked like tiny insects.

If only she could get closer to overhear their shouts. But she didn't quite trust them. Minutes went by before anything happened, but what did was unbelievable.

Elsa gasped to see the lead ship raise a white flag high for her to see. Her demonstration of power had worked. They'd seen she was no force to trifle with.

She tucked her chin and made a graceful dive toward the fleet. As she braced herself for the most difficult conversation of her reign thus far, she couldn't help but wonder if Anna would be proud of her. But her sister's safe return was a venture for another day.

Smoke erupted from a ship in the second line. Elsa faltered mid-air and froze, staring at an object flying straight for her as she heard the canons roar.

* * *

Anna wondered if she'd been wrong about Hans... or maybe she was just wrong about being able to save him. Could she save him if he didn't want to be saved?

She stared at his back. His navy suit from the ball was now replaced with black breeches tucked around a white long-sleeved shirt, which revealed enough of his clavicles for her to notice, and black boots. The outfit hardly looked like it would keep him warm, and yet Hans didn't shiver.

Hans led her across a lonely hall made of ice. Anna was thankful for her winter boots. If not for them, she was sure she would have slipped on entry and skidded screaming into one of the many floor-to-ceiling pillars that lined the hall. It would have made an embarrassing scene in the middle of a rather tense moment.

Her body began to shake with cold. She gulped and tried to focus her on her body warmth as a warm pit in the middle of her stomach, refusing to acknowledge the pit as nervousness. She couldn't exactly afford nervousness at the moment.

"Aren't you c-cold?" she called to Hans.

She thought she heard him scoff, but he made no real reply. Instead, he stopped at a pair of double doors at the end of the hall and gently pushed them open.

Anna only noticed how silent the fortress was at that precise moment due to the loud groan of the doors, which sounded as though they were hardly used. She gulped again, hugging her arms around herself as Hans gestured for her to follow him inside the next room, which too turned out to be a hall.

Immediately, Anna looked at the throne on a dais at the far side of the room. But the floor between her and the throne was made up of an odd, silver pond at the center of the floor.

No, not a pond. The mirror.

Anna's fingers twitched, her eyes scanning the mirror from top to bottom. There were only a few dark holes; these were missing pieces. She held back a sigh of relief. So, the Ice Maiden hadn't completed the mirror yet.

Well, _Hans_ hadn't completed the mirror yet.

She watched him kneel carefully by the lower left corner of his project, staring into it as intently as Narcissus.

"What is this man to you?"

Anna whipped around with a humiliating squeak as the Ice Maiden's voice behind her startled the life out of her. She took a couple of steps back, almost falling over Hans on the floor, but she steadied herself just in time.

"He was my fiancé."

She may have put emphasis on the term, but it was the truth.

"Was?"

Anna cringed just a bit. Then, she puffed out her chest and glared up at the frigid being before her.

"My understanding is that you had a hand in that."

The Ice Maiden narrowed her eyes, clearly not understanding. For a moment, Anna had forgotten she was speaking to a past version of the woman. This Ice Maiden was not the one who had kissed Hans as a boy... yet.

Time travel was getting to be extremely confusing.

"Why did you bring him here?" Anna snapped.

The Ice Maiden giggled. It was a hollow sound that made Anna's skin crawl.

"Why did you follow?"

"Because I _love_ him," Anna bit back without missing a beat. Then, she bit her lip, wanting with every fiber of herself to turn and see Hans's reaction. But she knew better. He was under the damn spell.

"Love? I loved once."

The Ice Maiden looked off to the side and contemplated. She stared at nothing, her gaze piercing no particular point in her hall as she stayed quiet like Anna wasn't even there.

"Erm, that's nice, but... what do you want with Hans?"

Could she ask so directly like that? Would the Ice Maiden even answer?

"I needed a helper," the witch answered simply. "But now things have gotten more interesting." She looked down. "Hans? That's your name, right? Let's show your former fiancée how love tears up the heart."

Anna felt a shiver run up her spine as she heard Hans stand behind her. His hand suddenly snatched her by the wrist and whirled her around to face him. She cried out as his fingers dug into her skin. He drew her wrist behind her back, his arm around her body tugging her toward him as his other hand held a shard of broken glass toward her chest.

"Hans—n-no!" Anna yelped and struggled to back away from him, though he held her in place and stared down at her, his eyes icy, empty. "P-please. Wake up! It's _me_. Anna. Even if you never loved me, you said so yourself. You've nothing to gain from hurting me anymore..."

"You're mistaken. He wants to please me, so he'll do what I say. He can't help it."

Anna felt fear and anger wrestle within her and for just a moment, the anger won.

"Why are you doing this?!"

"Because I saw the way you looked at each other and it made me ill. It doesn't last anyway, you know. I'm doing you a favor... a favor."

Anna grabbed at Hans's hand holding the jagged mirror piece, which eerily resembled a small knife. Their hands shook as they struggled to push toward each other, Anna fighting for her life, Hans fighting to stab the sharp edge into Anna's chest. Behind them, the Ice Maiden murmured and repeated herself, seemingly haunted. Anna used the moment of distraction to her advantage and dug her fingernails into Hans's knuckles.

"Look at me," she whispered to him.

Hans's eyes flickered from the mirror fragment to her face. For a split second, he looked startled. She felt his hand nearly jerk back, but she kept her hold on it and stared up at him, eye to eye. His pupils grew as he gazed back at her. She saw a dozen messages in those eyes.

Help.

I'm sorry.

What am I doing?

Stop me.

Anna.

Where are we?

Why am I doing this?

A part of her knew she made all of them up. She'd never been able to get into Hans's head. Never. But the very least she could do was to let him into hers in case she wasn't able to stop him. And so, she smiled at him, blinking once, slowly, as she felt a single thought with all her heart and directed it to him through her gaze.

Hans blinked back and looked over her shoulder.

"I... want you to kiss me while I do this."

Anna tensed. _What did he just say? He wanted WHAT?_

Then her brow furrowed. Hans didn't know. Hans didn't know what the third kiss would do to him.

"Y-you can't!" she hissed.

But Hans ignored her and spun her back toward the Ice Maiden, the movement startling her enough to make her lose her grip on his hand as he asked a second time. "Will you kiss me?"

The request dragged the Ice Maiden out of her troubled thoughts. Her lips twitched, though she couldn't quite manage a smile as she stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and Anna, with Hans at Anna's back.

Anna's head swam with nausea as she looked down to see his hand still holding the glass point to her chest. She shivered as the Ice Maiden looked over the two of them, looking positively intrigued by Hans's morbid suggestion.

"He can't," Anna yelled into the Ice Maiden's face. "You've already kissed him twice. It'll kill him!"

The Ice Maiden did not bat an eye.

"Why should I believe you?"

Anna wanted to curse everything then. The trolls, the mirror, the Ice Maiden, stupid Hans and stupid time travel.

"She's just jealous," Hans murmured, his breath warm on Anna's ear. She jerked and shivered, hating her reaction to his voice when he was using it to be cruel.

It hurt. Even if he couldn't control himself, it hurt.

"Let this be a lesson in love to you," the Ice Maiden cooed to Anna as she leaned in toward Anna's left shoulder.

Anna shut her eyes and thought of Elsa. She wanted to be brave and fight them both off, but Hans's hold on her wrist was too tight. She trembled violently, anticipating piercing pain at any second. But the pain never came.

"Ah," was all she heard.

Anna opened her eyes. There was no pain. She was all right. Unless pain would come later.

She looked down... to find the mirror shard embedded deep in the Ice Maiden's chest. She only had time to gasp before Hans pulled her aside to safety while the Ice Maiden let out a pitiful, growling moan which grew into a screeching wail.

Black blood pooled from the Ice Maiden's pale chest, dribbling down her dress and staining the glass shard stuck to her. She drew her hands up to grab for the mirror shard, shrieking and jerking her hands away immediately after she touched it.

Anna looked from Hans to the Ice Maiden and back, her mouth opening and closing in frightened bewilderment as the two of them watched the Ice Maiden hunch over, writhing as she dropped to the icy floor. She tilted her head up and reached out for the two of them.

In that instant, Anna looked into the maiden's eyes and felt immense pity for her. She almost moved to grab her hand, but Hans's arm around her held her back.

The screams grew louder as the Ice Maiden started to claw at herself, scratching. Her fingernails dug deep gashes in her arms, her neck and face as she scratched at some invisible thing itching at her. At this point, Anna had to look away. She buried her face in Hans's chest and shook with fright at the relentless shrieking behind her.

Then, abruptly, it stopped. There was a single clatter of the mirror shard falling to the floor, which Anna saw as she peeked back over her shoulder.

The Ice Maiden was nowhere to be seen.

"Where-"

His hand cupped her chin and drew her face toward his. His lips were on hers so quickly and forcefully that she would have fallen back if not for his arm tight around her back.

Anna instinctively squealed into the kiss, feeling him chuckle warmth into her mouth. Her cheeks grew hot while her brain tried to catch up and process that _he_ just kissed _her_. Then, she breathed him in before she relaxed and kissed back, her hands running up his arms until she could lay hers over his shoulders. She even leaned up on her toes to deepen their kiss. But just as she did so, he slowly pulled back.

"You thought I was going to kill you."

Anna's mouth dropped open. But then she glared, her brow twitching in annoyance.

"Well, you were sure acting like it. Pointy object held to my heart? Dead-killer-stare? No hesitation, might I add. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time you tried to k—"

"Oh, shut up already."

And just like that, he scooped her up for another kiss, his hands cradling the sides of her neck. Anna let herself melt just a little. Shouldn't they look around first to make sure the Ice Maiden was really gone? Nah.

Her fingers curled around his shirt as she felt his tongue prod her lips, trying to taste more of her. Her face grew so hot, she thought she'd burst if she didn't slow things down. And so, she was the one to pull away this time, more than a little smug about the disappointment on his face.

"Hans... I've got us a ride back to Arendelle, but it's got a time limit."

He raised his eyebrow at that.

"Seriously!"

Well, maybe she was being just a little bit evasive. She wasn't about to admit to it.

"All right..."

He squeezed his arm around her one last time before he let go. Then, his eyes drifted down to the floor.

"We can't just leave the mirror here."

Anna frowned. It was true, they couldn't leave it. Someone might find it eventually. The mirror wasn't _evil_ , but it wasn't safe either.

"Right... But what should we do with it?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Rather than Anna saving Hans yet again, I sort of wanted him to save himself. Though the whole gaze-into-the-soul she gave him was meant to be what sort of broke the spell over him (you ever hear the phrase about the eyes reflecting the soul?).
> 
> The Ice Maiden's motivations, both past and present, were always pretty bitter. It was never about Hans himself, but about seeing others happily in love. The future Ice Maiden was reminded of her former self when she met young Hans. That's why she wanted him as her companion. But then he went and met Anna, which sort of ruined her visions for the future. To top it all, Anna's a descendent of Mattheus and the woman he married. Her past self doesn't know that, but her past self knows love when she sees it. She also sensed somehow Hans had her 'mark' on him (the kiss) even though she doesn't recall kissing him. So with her past self, it was mostly intrigue and bitterness. Hopefully that makes sense...
> 
> The mirror was literally the only weapon that could be used against the Ice Maiden. Basically, the more she used her power from the mirror, the more she lost herself until there was nothing left but a nasty, bitter shell. She was immortal except against the mirror. Where did she go? I'll leave that up to your imagination. She's gone for good though.
> 
> Anyway, the last chapter and epilogue will wrap things up. Thank you very much for reading along!


	53. The Future

This wasn't like her. Normally, prolonged silence would have prompted Anna to rattle off a mile a minute about, well, just about anything. But once she and Hans determined to gather the mirror fragments into her cloak, they both grew quiet; it was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop... or just the quiet shuffle of their boots as they dragged the pieces into a pile on Anna's cloak lain out on the floor. The mirror looked massive put together on the floor, but the pile itself only took up a small section of her cloak. Together, they were able to carefully wrap and tie it into a secure bundle. Hans was the first to speak.

"There are still some missing," he noted, his voice startling her.

He was right. Where were the remaining few pieces? What trouble would they cause if they weren't found?

"They won't do much harm as long as they're not put together. I think."

She expected Hans to call her overconfident. Instead, his lips quirked into a smile as he said, "You always find me."

Her face brightened at that. Once upon a time, the romantic in her would have believed that this—all of it—had been fate trying to push the two of them together. But their adventures in the past had taught her that the world was a whole lot bigger than just her and Hans.

Luck had nothing to do with it. She was able to find him because she wanted to.

She glanced off bashfully, giving the cloak knot a test tug to be sure it would not come undone before she gathered it up into her arms. The cloak was thickly insulated, so she wasn't too worried about the pieces cutting through. There was no other way she could see for them to transport the pieces elsewhere.

"I had the mirror's help this time though," she answered with an airy laugh. Hans's brow furrowed and she quickly added, "I'll explain it one day."

"I'll hold you to that."

She grinned at the humorous lilt in his voice as they walked the perimeter of the hall, searching. There were no grates or pockets in the walls to serve as hiding spots for the cursed mirror. They left the hall side by side and began a search throughout the fortress, finding room upon empty room. Hans suggested that they search the whole place before hiding any of the shards. The outer hall traveled in a rectangle around the central hall where the mirror had been. Many of the smaller rooms looked like they were meant for storage with empty shelves within the walls. Some resembled guestrooms, but it was difficult to imagine the Ice Maiden acting as a hostess.

By the time they reached their starting point again, one thing became clear to Anna. Hans was the one to say it though.

" _No where_ in this place is ideal. Someday, someone might find this fortress."

Anna sighed. "I was just thinking that. But what else can we do?"

Hans said nothing as he ran a hand through his hair. He led her outside the fortress where Anna was relieved to see the snowmount still waiting.

Anna glanced up and frowned. "I'm not sure how much time we have. Kirsten was very weak when I left Arendelle."

"What if we give the mirror shards to the trolls?"

She almost fell over in shock.

"What?! Look what one shard did to Volco," she snapped more severely than she wanted to. But really, what was Hans thinking?

He did not look perturbed.

"Yes, but Pabbie's different, isn't he? Anyway, they're attuned to the earth, right? They may know the best place for the shards."

Actually, that wasn't a crazy idea. She chewed her lip while considering it. And if Hans was wrong, they would singlehandedly deliver most of the mirror to a group of magic users. But then Anna thought of the shard the trolls from the future had used to transport her. They could have succumbed to the single fragment, yet they hadn't.

After some hesitation, Anna nodded and strode toward the snowmount. The snow tugged at her boots with every step, so much that even the short distance was tiring. She didn't realize how drowsy she was until she mounted the reindeer. She started when she felt Hans's hand on her arm, looking down to find his scrutinizing green yes on her face.

She blushed. "What?"

"Close your eyes. I'll get us there," he offered as he swung up behind her. This time, she smiled when she felt his arms slide around her. Hans grabbed the reins and gave the snowmount a gentle kick to get them moving.

As much as she'd have liked to sleep, Anna couldn't take her eyes off the world beneath them covered in white snow and ice. The land was vast and lonely, reminding her of her sister, whom at this point she wasn't even sure she would see again.

"What are you thinking?" Hans raised his voice behind her to talk above the wind.

"Nothing," she lied, afraid now to find out what Hans would think about going home. "Look!" She pointed to a gleaming blue river rushing past a plateau of ice below and heard Hans gasp. Her cheeks grew rosy at the sound. Supposing his trance was too deep when he'd fled north with the Ice Maiden, that would mean he was seeing all the beautiful sights for the first time with Anna.

By the time the north sea came into view, Anna's eyes grew heavy. She leaned her head back and tried focusing on the horizon to stay alert. But it was too easy to fall asleep with her head back upon Hans's shoulder as they rode south for Arendelle. The cold couldn't even keep her awake.

* * *

Anna was rudely torn from a drool-inducing dream about chocolate when something thudded below and shook her. She panicked seeing the snow-draped trees all around and the pair of silver-white antlers in front of her. Then, she remembered everything and turned back as she felt Hans move behind her. He dismounted and held his hand up for the bundle she'd tied to herself.

Anna stared at Hans dumbly as she loosened the cloak chord from her arm and retied it to bundle before handing it off to Hans. He set it down carefully and offered up a hand again to help her down from the snowmount; he did not release her hand as he crouched to pick up her cloak.

Together, they took the path through the trees and entered the valley. Hans did not react this time when the landscape around them darkened into twilight.

As they came out of the trees, Anna and Hans found that the trolls were not in hiding as usual, but strewn out across the rocky terraces. A group of younger trolls higher up spotted the visitors first and, jumping and shouting in excitement, scurried off into one of the caves. Anna exchanged a confused glance with Hans as they looked around at the remaining groups of trolls. Most looked pleased to see them, but a few looked wary. Perhaps they had been close followers of Volco. Anna tried not to worry about it.

Instead, she watched Hans gaze around the valley as if for the first time. Gone was his former steady calculation as he glanced from group to group of trolls. When his eyes stopped to rest on her, his entire face lit up in a way she hadn't seen since the coronation ball. It made her knees weak. But at the same time, she couldn't quite shake away all the bad blood between them. Hans may have been under an influence, but bad things had happened nonetheless.

With a guilty twinge in her chest, Anna looked away. She caught Hans frowning at her in the corner of her eye as Pabbie emerged from one of the caves to greet them.

The troll looked almost solemn as he stopped before the pair and said, "Volco did not return."

There was a lot left to be said. Anna exchanged an uncertain glance with Hans before Pabbie addressed them again.

"It's not your fault. The old Volco was lost to us long ago. But I will have to tell his son..."

Anna covered her mouth, having forgotten about the young troll Hilco.

Hans cleared his throat. "The king of Arendelle... he wants to make peace with you all.

At first, hope crossed over the troll's face. But it was quickly replaced with doubt.

Worried, Anna chimed in. "It's true! He wants to establish mutual borders for your lands..."

Pabbie narrowed his eyes at that. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Unable to lie, Anna bit her lip. "Well, we hope it's mostly because of his daughter. But he may be just a tincy wincy bit interested in your magic."

"Humans. So predictable." The troll rolled his eyes.

Anna almost giggled at the look of offense on Hans's face, but then she remembered why she and Hans had come to the valley.

"Speaking...of magic," she said, figuring now was the best opportunity to mention the mirror. "We discovered that Volco had a shard from an ancient mirror on him. We believe that's what made him so powerful and...volatile."

"An ancient mirror, you say?" Pabbie raised one of his furry eyebrows.

Instead of elaborating, Anna merely nodded to Hans. The prince took his cue to crouch down and slowly, carefully unwrap Anna's cloak. As he lay it flat, he revealed the large pile of silver, glinting mirror pieces within.

Pabbie inched closer, mumbling so low that they couldn't understand him.

"This is an object of great power... and great danger."

The redheads furrowed their brows and murmured in agreement.

"It's absorbed a lot of dark energy," Pabbie added.

"Huh?" Both Anna and Hans looked at the shards.

"You can see that?" Hans asked.

First, Pabbie squinted up at them. "You can't?" Then, his narrowed eyes darted back down to the shards.

"Err... no?" Anna answered, sounding more certain when she caught Hans shaking his head.

"Hmmm... I suppose humans cannot see all we can see," Pabbie said, sounding as if he was talking more to himself.

Anna shrugged and tried looking more closely at the shards, but it was no good. She didn't even know what dark energy was supposed to look like. Shadowy? Black? Invisibly ingrained in the hearts of people?

She thought of the time Pabbie removed the ice from her head. Blinking, she wonderd if...

"Pabbie... are you able to take the darkness out of the mirror?"

At first, the troll leader looked bewildered. Then he narrowed his eyes, contemplating.

"What an odd idea! I think that may actually be possible... but stand back!"

When Hans didn't back away quickly enough, Anna dragged him back by the elbow. She worried at first that she'd been too forward, but he chuckled at her forcefulness before he turned his eyes back to Pabbie, who pinched his stubby fingers up into the air and drew his hand over the pile of mirror shards. A blast of wind swept across the valley, making Anna yelp with surprise as she grabbed for Hans's arm again. But that wasn't all. The mirror shards began to glow all hues of red, green and blue. Unintelligble whispers drifted up from the lights as they floated up toward the night sky.

"What...?" Anna mumbled, squeezing Hans's wrist until he groaned in protest. Mortified, Anna let go of him.

"Look!" Pabbie pointed to the glass shards.

The mirror, though broken, reflected as if it was whole. It showed Hans, Anna and Pabbie staring down with a tree high above them. Anna looked up and back down again, puzzled. There was no tree behind them.

Frowning, she asked, "What's with the tree?"

"Oh, you can see _that_ , can you?" Pabbie asked. "This is what it's supposed to be reflecting." He mumbled something about the mirror's true state, which made Hans and Anna gawk at one another to see if eithre knew what Pabbie was talking about.

Finally, Anna shrugged. "What will you do with all these shards, Pabbie?"

"It's still dangerous, this mirror. I think it would be best to hide it where even my people can't find it."

It's then that Anna thinks to ask Pabbie to send them home.

"Home? Your home isn't Arendelle?" he asked.

Anna tilted her head, thinking of how best to answer. "Well... erm..."

"No matter. I think I know a way, using this mirror. Let me see..."

Pabbie turned away from them, muttering in deep thought. It was then that Hans took Anna aside, looking her squarely in the eyes so that she could not look away again.

"Are you sure you want to go home?" he asked, his green eyes almost sorrowful.

It was then that Anna realized they couldn't be sure what they'd be going home to, whether all they'd been through had made any impact on their future. Would Hans still be arrested? Would the trolls be friendly with Arendelle?

...would there even be an Arendelle for them to go back to?

Anna gulped. "We can't stay here, Hans."

"Who says we can't?" He smiled at the growing confusion in her face. But she sensed fear in that smile of his.

"Have courage," she said, taking his hands into hers. "I'll be with you."

"If that's what you want," he answered, relaxing somewhat.

"I've got it!" Pabbie suddenly squawked at the two of them, making them jump. "But it's a little complicated transporting two people at once. You'll have to follow my instructions closely."

They paused, hand in hand, one heartbeat, staring into each other's faces as they held their breaths, each bracing themselves for the next part in their adventure.

"...hello? Are you ready?"

Anna smiled before she turned toward Pabbie and nodded. "What do we have to do?"

Pabbie looked down at their joined hands and raised his eyebrow. "Well, you've got step one already. Holding hands. Now, you must both think back to the last place you were at home together. Focus on that."

Anna held back a dark laugh as she remembered the moment she punched Hans into Odin's fjord. Not exactly a happy memory! But if it would take them home...

She looked up into Hans's green eyes, vaguely aware of Pabbie murmuring in a strange, earthen language. There was a light pressure around her hands and she looked down to see Hans holding hers tightly. He looked worried again.

"I'll be with you," she mouthed to him, for she found her voice would not come out as a great, white light enveloped the two of them. Strange cracks in the air filled her ears. They grew louder and louder until they sounded like roaring. Anna strained her eyes to keep them open as long as possible so she could see Hans.

But then she blinked.


	54. Frozen in Time

Anna nuzzled her face into her warm pillow and rolled onto her side, her arm propped up on her elbow with her other hand awkwardly dangling behind her back. Her fingers twitched and clawed to find a certain itchy spot which, once she found it and dug her fingernails at it, had her drooling in sleepy contentment. Her mouth hung open as she snored away, the sound not bothering her one bit as she fully intended to slip back into another sweet dream.

"Anna?"

Her sister's voice jostled her peaceful descent into slumberland, but Anna tried to ignore it.

"Anna?!" This time, her name was accompanied by a knock on the door.

"Huh? Yeah?" she called. Sometimes if she answered, her sister would leave her alone just long enough until Elsa realized that Anna was not actually up.

"Are you awake in there?"

Anna groaned as she sat up in bed, rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes even as she had to fight her tired body not to collapse back against the mattress.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm up—ahhhhh..." She interrupted her own response with a yawn.

"You better be! You can't be late for my coronation!"

"Well, of course not!" Anna yelled out in drowsy, solemn agreement, smacking her lips together and clucking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Then she popped one eye open. "Coro...nation? Your coronation?!"

She heard her sister's chuckle outside her bedroom door.

"Well, unless someone _else_ is being crowned... erm..."

A hundred thoughts fought out for Anna's concentration as she leaped from bed and tripped with her sheets wrapped around her ankle on her way to the door. She rolled along with the momentum and jumped up directly in front of the door, which she quickly threw open, making Elsa cry out in alarm.

"Yikes! I didn't think you were really awake!" Elsa said, crossing her arms even with the smile on her face.

"It's your coronation day?!" Anna asked. Truth be told, she couldn't quite pinpoint why that fact bewildered her.

Well, that wasn't true. But it made no sense! She had the faint, nagging sensation of having lived out coronation day already.

Of course, that would be crazy.

Finally, Anna looked at Elsa and noticed her uncertain gaze toward the floor.

"You okay?" Anna asked, reaching for her sister's shoulder.

She recognized the strain in Elsa's face as her sister tried to smile for her.

"Don't hide it," Anna warned her. Elsa could fake smile all she wanted; her eyes couldn't fool Anna.

"I just... don't know if I'm cut out for this," Elsa admitted with a sigh.

The redhead frowned and suddenly grabbed her sister in for a tight hug. Elsa let out a little yelp at her little sister's fierce embrace. After a second, the surprise melted into laughter and she hugged Anna in return.

"You're ready for this, Elsa. Mama and Papa would be so proud."

The sisters backed away to look at each other, though they remained hand-in-hand.

"Besides, look at the alternative. _Me_? Let's not even think about how awful that would be!" Anna chuckled, though she sensed a quizzical stare from her sister.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You'd make a fine queen. Though then you'd have less time for your archives."

Anna's head tilted. "Archives?"

Elsa raised her eyebrow. "Did you hit your head or something last night?"

Anna's mouth opened and shut wordlessly as she tried to make sense of both Elsa's comment and her own confusion.

Her archives! Of course!

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" she suddenly asked Elsa.

At that, her sister gave the most un-Elsa-like squawk Anna had ever heard. The queen-to-be gave her sister an apologetic wave before she nodded and ran off to her own wing.

Anna smiled after Elsa for a moment before she kicked herself in gear and went back into her room to get dressed. Her hair was as unruly as ever that morning. But after a thorough brushing, she was able to pull it back into an elegant updo with a braided crown across the top of her head.

Satisfied with the young woman who stared back at her in the mirror, Anna nearly bolted for the door to race throughout the castle to see all the preparations underway for the castle guests. But something about the mirror made her pause.

"Mirrors..." she mumbled, staring intently at her own face. She was excited to see Elsa be crowned, but... there was something off about the day. "Archives..." It was slowly coming back to her, the interest she'd taken in Arendelle's history. She'd become something of a historian in her teens. Her parents encouraged this and had urged her to use the library as much as possible for her research. But perhaps most useful to her had been one item in particular.

Anna's gaze fell upon a leather-bound book on her dresser. She recognized it as she picked it up; it was her Great-Great Grandmother's journal.

It was no normal journal, of course. The book had guided her parents in rearing Elsa... and her powers. Anna remembered it as the "fun book" from their childhood. Not only had Queen Kirsten recorded just about every technique for _using_ her magic. She had also recorded a number of ways to control it.

She flipped open the cover and traced her finger over the inscription on the inside corner.

She'd asked her parents again and again about her namesake, but Kirsten had written nothing else about the woman except that she'd had a hand in bringing peace between Arendelle and the trolls of the forest. Other than that, the book was entirely devoted to Kirsten's magic. Anna could not imagine how her family would have navigated having such power in the family without the journal. Once their parents had shared the book with them, Elsa had started up her own diary. It just seemed like the sensible thing to do, she said. As far as Anna knew, Elsa still wrote in it.

Again, Anna looked at the note on the inside cover. "Anna, per your last request. Thank you for everything, wherever you are."

* * *

Anna alternated between waving and weaving through the incoming crowds on her way out of the castle. She even had to duck out of the way of the Ernstsen Bros.'s cake, which was probably the height of a small child and covered in cool blue glaze with white snowflake decorations. Anna gawked all around her. From smiling faces on the bridge to the rows of ships in the fjord, it was a lot to take in. There wasn't much time before the chapel bells would announce the final call for the coronation ceremony. But she felt compelled to explore the town. She'd spent so little time outside the castle during mourning.

Once she entered the town proper, she gazed in awe at the empty shop stalls, turning in circles in amazement at how peaceful the market seemed with everyone away at the castle. Chuckling to herself about how she'd have to come back when it was bustling, Anna made her way for the steps to the docks.

" _How curious_ ," she sang softly to herself. " _How familiar._.. _like I've been here before."_

She froze on the bottom step, thinking.

" _But for the first time in forever, life seems like an open door."_

She looked to the fjord on her left and charged ahead, brimming with energy.

" _And this will all end tomorrow, but for now I'll seize the day... 'cause for the first time in forever, everything's okaaaaa—"_

Anna wasn't sure which came first: the man's cry accompanied by his whinnying horse or the horse's body crashing right into her, which sent her tripping foot-first into a bucket, then fly back into a boat resting on the dock. Her weight pushed the small fishing boat toward the edge of the dock and Anna yelped in a panic as she was sure the boat would go flying into the water. In fact, the tip of the boat did splash a bit. But suddenly, the boat was halted as the horse gallantly stomped his hoof in it. A piece of seaweed came flying up and landed on Anna's forehead, making her grimace.

"Hey!" she snapped, lifting the slick algae from her face.

"I'm so sorry! A-are you hurt?!"

Anna looked up at the man on his horse and felt the world go very, very still when he met her eyes.

Memories pooled into her all at once—her lonely childhood, her aloof sister, having to deal with their parents' deaths on her own, coronation day … and every moment after.

Anna gulped. The mirror had sent them back this far?

More importantly, was this Hans _her_ Hans? Would he remember any of it?

"Hey! ...ahh, yeah, no, no, I'm okay!"

"Are you sure?"

The prince hopped down to assist her out of the boat as she carefully scooted back so she could sit up.

"I, yeah, I just wasn't looking where I was going. But I'm fine. I'm _great_...actually." She watched him step into the boat and felt her heart melt at the concern on his face.

"Well," he flashed her a smile that was possibly more charming than the first time, "Thank goodness."

Hans reached out a hand to help her rise. She allowed him to help her to her feet and watched with some amusement as he realized he had not introduced himself. "Oh! Um... Prince Hans of the Southern Isles." He politely bowed his head.

She gave a curtsy that felt a moment too short, but she couldn't help her nervousness.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle."

Then she panicked as she recalled what happened the first time she introduced herself to Hans. Only, _this_ time he remained composed as he offered her his arm.

"My lady, I'd like to formally apologize for hitting you with my horse."

 _Well_ , Anna thought, _that went differently_. She linked her arm in his and gingerly stepped out of the boat. Hans waited until she was safely on the dock before he himself stepped out.

"No, it's fine!" She smiled. "I'm not _that_ princess... I mean, if you'd hit my sister Elsa, it would be... yeesh! 'cause, you know." Was this Hans here to woo her sister? Had he heard that Elsa turned away all suitors?

Anna turned toward Sitron and rubbed affectionately under the steed's chin before she turned back to Hans. "But, lucky you! It's just me."

He smiled just the way he had on the day they met. Then, he said, "Just the woman who traveled through time?"

Hans chuckled as Anna's mouth dropped open. But she said not a word as she lunged to hug him. Behind them, Sitron snorted at their inexplicable familiarity out in the open, but the couple ignored that.

They stood in silence, Hans with his nose in Anna's hair, Anna tugging his blazer as if to make sure he was real. They held on to each other just so until the bells rang for the coronation.

* * *

Hours later, all of Arendelle and its guests were celebrating. The coronation went smoothly, the kingdom had a queen once again—a powerful one, at that!—and there was music, good food and dancing late into the night.

Grand Pabbie had to admit that humans knew how to throw a party, even if they looked funny in their frilly gowns and suits. He kept his eye on one dancing couple in particular, waiting for the right moment to approach them. Beside him, his adopted grandson bristled at all the activity. Kristoff had learned how to socialize with other humans ever since he started harvesting ice. But he still seemed to prefer the company of trolls. Of course, no one topped his reindeer friend, Sven.

"Lighten up, Kristoff," Grand Pabbie said with a nudge. "Why don't you ask someone to dance?"

Kristoff scowled. His family had been trying to get him to bring a girl home ever since his sixteenth birthday. It was a bit difficult to court when he disliked most people.

"Very funny. Who's going to dance with _me_?" Kristoff bristled in his formal suit, a cross between a traditional gakti and the trolls' mossy attire. While his adopted parents, Bulda and Cliff, insisted that Kristoff learn as much as possible about the troll customs, it was Grand Pabbie who was equally adamant that Kristoff spend time with the Sami to the north, since those were Kristoff's people by birth. But with Kristoff spending much of his time in Arendelle as an ice harvester, even though he was akin to a prince among the trolls, he didn't quite fit in with the humans he interacted with. Grand Pabbie would say that this made him special. Kristoff was not so sure.

The disgruntled young man felt Grand Pabbie nudge his knee and point toward the head of the hall. Kristoff's gaze followed until his eyes settled over the newly crowned queen. Some lovingly referred to her as the snow queen. Kristoff thought a winter angel would have been more appropriate.

Suddenly, Queen Elsa's head turned and she stared straight back at him, her eyes growing wide as she noticed him looking at her. Kristoff quickly looked down to glare at his smiling grandfather.

"Are you kidding?!" Kristoff whispered, fuming.

"Kristoff. You're a prince among our people. You have the right to ask her for a dance. Now, go."

The ice harvester groaned but tried to work up some courage as he left his grandfather chuckling after him.

* * *

Anna gulped as she approached Elsa on the dais. Now that she had all her memories back, it was difficult not to rush up to her sister and squeeze the life out of her. She'd not been sure she would ever see her again, and yet here they were. The best part of it was that Elsa seemed at ease about her powers in this new present. Anna just wished that enough of the past had been changed for her parents to still be with them.

But, well... at least they had each other.

"Hey...!" Anna smiled as she stopped before her sister, beaming.

Elsa turned toward her with a loving smile and wrapped an arm around her. The gesture was surprisingly warm for what Anna was used to. How strange... to go from one extreme of Elsa to another. Before she'd run off to look for Hans, their relationship was still a little strained. Here it seemed like Elsa was at ease.

"You look beautiful!" Elsa told her.

"Thank you! You look beautiful...too!" She quickly stopped herself from saying 'beautifull-er' and chuckled awkwardly instead.

"You feeling okay?" Elsa asked, suddenly looking bewildered.

Anna swallowed and quickly nodded her head. "It's just... I wasn't sure how today was going to go, you know? There's a lot on your shoulders now. And I want to be here to support you as much as possible. You know I'm here for you, right? Right?"

Elsa considered that for a moment as she pat Anna's shoulder.

"Relax. I know I was nervous before the coronation. But it really felt... feels like mother and father are with me, guiding me." She paused to look Anna in the eyes. "I know that sounds weird."

"No!" Anna objected, shaking her head. "I mean, I know what you mean..."

They smiled at one another and clasped hands.

"Anyway," Elsa added. "I'm here for you too. And I have a feeling that everything's going to be okay. I mean... just, look." She turned her blue gaze toward the crowd of dancing guests, each one looking happy.

Anna nodded. The night looked full of promise. She glanced from dancer to dancer, pausing at one handsome pair. The woman had hair as black as night and skin as white as snow. Her lips were painted a deep red that matched the ruffling trim of her golden dress. Her partner's red sash over his black suit matched the young woman's dress. They twirled and dipped, gracefully gliding across the ballroom floor, drawing more than just Anna's awed gaze.

"Who are _they_?" Anna whispered.

"Hm? Ah..." Elsa grinned a little. "That's the Duke of Weselton dancing with the princess of Alemagne. Her people call her Snow White."

Anna gasped. "Snow White? Like the...?"

Elsa nodded. "Like the fairytale. The story goes that her evil stepmother placed a curse on her as a girl never to age. The woman was insanely jealous of the princess's beauty and didn't want it to surpass her own."

"Someone broke the spell though?" Anna asked, pointing out the obvious. Snow White had grown into the perfect example of a fair princess.

"Mmhm! She enlisted the aid of the trolls. Something about a tainted mirror in the stepmother's possession being behind it all."

"Well, wait a minute, shouldn't she be _queen_ now then? I mean, she looks old enough."

Elsa sighed a little. "Well, that's just the thing. Apparently, she was trapped at the age of twelve for centuries in hiding from her evil stepmother. Then, when the common folk overcame the evil queen, a new royal family took power. It wasn't until the trolls' peace pact with Arendelle that they came to light... and they did not reveal themselves internationally until our parents' passing. But by then, several generations of the new royal family had already ruled over Alemagne. By the time Snow White returned, she had to prove she was who she said she was. In the end, they gave her the honorary title and some land, but I'm afraid her original legacy and inheritance are lost to her."

Anna was amazed. She wouldn't have been able to guess such a sad and complicated story as she watched the happy princess dance with the...

"The _Duke of Weselton_?!" she almost screeched in shock. "Wasn't he... wasn't he um... _older_?"

Elsa clapped Anna's shoulder and covered her mouth to hold back a fit of giggles. "You're thinking of his uncle! Anna, the former duke passed away years ago. Syphilis, remember?" She'd whispered the cause of death. "What a nasty man he was. I guess you wouldn't remember, we were fairly young at the time. Mother always said it was just as well. Liam is much more pleasant to deal with."

Stunned, Anna's mouth opened and closed in silence. A lot had changed. A _lot_.

But some things hadn't. Smiling to herself, Anna glanced toward an approaching figure as he emerged from the crowd. Taking a deep breath, she stepped down from the dais to take her place at his side. It was now or never.

"Elsa, may I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

The queen raised her eyebrow as Hans bowed before her and said, "Your Majesty."

Anna smiled with a glance toward Hans as she said, "We would like... uhhh..."

Hans took her hand in his and squeezed as they said together, "...your blessing..."

The queen looked bewildered, her eyes darting back and forth between them as they giggled at one another.

"...of our courtship!"

They beamed at each other, hoping this request would go far more smoothly than the time they announced their engagement. But Elsa blinked rapidly, looking from Hans to Anna and back at Hans.

"Courtship?" she repeated, her brow furrowed. "Is this a joke?"

Uh-oh.

Anna looked to Hans with worry. Then she frowned and stood her ground.

"Why would we be joking? It's not like I asked to marry him!"

Elsa grew somehow paler as she took a step away from the two of them. "But you're already engaged...! You have been since you were children! I mean, I realize it was so many years ago, but I thought you both knew?"

Anna stared at Elsa. Then she stared at Hans. Then she looked around and around the great hall, her head feeling suddenly light at this new revelation. So much had changed.

"I... suppose it makes sense that you want to get to know each other better first. You aren't to marry until I... myself... um..." Elsa trailed off, her cheeks flushed as she avoided discussing her own lack of an engagement. Then she brushed at her dress skirt and stood up tall to address the two of them.

Hans had laid his hand on Anna's shoulder. With his lent strength, the room stopped spinning and Anna was able to look her sister in the eye.

"You have my blessing. But if for some reason you decide not to marry, err... I'm really not sure how his parents will take it... you understand, Anna? The engagement goes back to a time that we gave the Southern Isles supplies after a brutal winter. We would be rejecting their thanks all this time later—"

"You don't have to worry about that, Elsa," Anna said. And as she glanced at Hans, she saw his green eyes flicker with a confidence that made her knees grow weak.

"All right... ah..."

Anna looked up upon hearing the distracted tone in Elsa's voice. She saw her sister staring past the two of them into the crowd. When Anna turned her head, she felt her stomach drop. _Kristoff_ strode toward the three of them, looking strangely serious. His outfit was a little off too, Anna thought. His gakti was lined by plant life that reminded her of his troll family. Truth be told, Anna could not recall the last time she thought of him. Did he remember...?

But he couldn't possibly, not when Elsa didn't. And yet Anna felt pangs of guilt latch onto her heart as he drew close enough to speak to her. But then, something odd happened.

Kristoff stepped _around_ her and Hans and bowed his head before Elsa.

"Your Majesty," Kristoff said, looking up toward her a little nervously. "Would you honor me with the next dance?"

A foolish grin swept over Anna's face as she watched her sister blush and accept.

* * *

The celebrations went on late into the night. Anna waited longer than she wanted to approach the troll leader. He gestured for her to follow him out onto one of the balconies so they could have some privacy. Once outside, Grand Pabbie tilted his head and looked up at her. It was almost a shock to her how much older he looked now.

"So, this is where I sent you all that time ago."

Anna nodded.

"I recognized you when you were a child, of course. But I wasn't sure when the right time to speak to you would be... till tonight, when I saw you with him."

"With Hans?"

Grand Pabbie nodded. "How much did you change?"

The princess blushed a little as if he'd already chastised her. "I... We never meant to change a thing, I swear. It seems like little things though. My parents are still dead. Krsitoff's too, I presume. Elsa is still cursed with magic. I just don't understand why we kept our memories."

Grand Pabbie grunted in contemplation.

"Perhaps the mirror's gift to you?"

Anna gasped. "The mirror! What... happened to it?"

Grand Pabbie smiled to reassure her. "I hid it away, as I said I would. And I've been hunting down the remaining pieces ever since. As I'm able to."

"Ahh... I heard about Snow White."

The troll nodded. "I haven't encountered a tale that sad since, luckily. But don't worry. The mirror is safe."

Anna frowned a little, troubled about the past she had changed.

"Do you think I'm... really supposed to be here? Like... what happened to the past I came from? What all happened while I was gone?"

Pabbie raised one mossy eyebrow at her question.

"Nothing, now. You changed everything."

"But Elsa... she doesn't remember what she went through as a child. What I went through. My history... is it really... gone?"

Grand Pabbie shook his head. "Do you have memories of this version of the present, Anna?"

She paused and then nodded. It was true. This new present felt as real to her as the old one.

"Think of it this way. The mirror ought never have been created. It ought never have gone out into the world. So the old life you knew, in a sense, ought to never have been either. Just think of it as another life now frozen in time."

Anna nodded, remembering all the visions the mirror had shared with her about the damage its shards had caused when they were misused by those with darkness in their hearts.

"Good. Now... don't forget _your_ history, either. You'll never be the same, there's no doubt about that. But think of all the good you've done. Hold onto that, and you'll be all right."

She'd stopped looking at him, though she hung onto each word as she looked back through the balcony doors and spotted Hans waiting for her in the crowd.

"Thank you, Pabbie. Although, truly, I never could have done it on my own."

She thought back to Kirsten, Judet, Hans and young Pabbie. Then, seeing Kristoff sweep her sister into a beautiful circle across the room, Anna giggled.

"Go on, young lady. The night isn't over yet."

Anna nodded and gave the little troll a wave before she left the balcony. Then, she rushed through the open doors toward Hans. It was a night of second chances and new beginnings. Together, they danced the rest of the evening away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord, it's finally finished! The mirror sent them back to the day they met. I didn't send them back to the moment where Anna had punched him into the fjord because too much had changed. In this new version of the present, Elsa's parents had Kirsten's journal to sort of guide them through their daughter's upbringing/magic. They didn't feel the need to hide Elsa's gift, and so she didn't have that whole 'conceal, don't feel' complex. Instead, her insecurities were solely based on becoming the new queen. But because she and Anna have a much closer relationship, it's not nearly as big of a deal as having to hide her powers would have been.
> 
> Speaking of the journal, that was Anna's last request from Kirsten. I wanted the connection to be made in this last chapter, but I'm not sure if anyone picked up on that.
> 
> Liam's not such a lousy guy without the influence of his uncle. Kristoff still thinks reindeer are better than people. Anna and Hans had an arranged engagement. I didn't include Olaf in any of these scenes just because I felt there was already so much in here, but I have it in my head that Elsa would have brought him to life when they were kids and he would be their living, singing playmate.
> 
> Anyway, I really really appreciate everyone who stayed along for this long ride of a story. It's been really fun! I am still considering doing some oneshots as sequels or side-pieces to the story, but I have some other things I want to work on, so we'll see. Thank you for the sweet comments and for your patience during these last few chapters! You guys have been great!
> 
> Take care!


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